Ronnie O’Sullivan: Record 153 Break at World Open – Snooker History

Ronnie O’Sullivan, the seven-time world champion, has achieved a landmark moment in professional snooker, recording a break of 153 at the World Open in Yushan, China, on Wednesday. The achievement surpasses the previous highest professional break of 148, set by Jamie Burnett during UK Championship qualifying in 2004.

The record-breaking break occurred in the opening frame of O’Sullivan’s quarter-final match against Ryan Day. Day initially left himself snookered, and his subsequent attempt to escape the situation failed, granting O’Sullivan a free ball. Capitalizing on the opportunity, O’Sullivan began with a green, followed by a black, scoring eight points before commencing his run of reds. He then successfully potted 15 reds, accompanied by 13 blacks and two pinks, before clearing the remaining colors to reach the unprecedented total.

While the maximum possible break in snooker is traditionally considered to be 147 – achieved by potting all 15 reds with 15 blacks, followed by all six colors in sequence – a break exceeding this total is possible with a free ball. O’Sullivan’s break fell just two points short of the theoretical maximum of 155, which can be achieved by potting the free ball as an additional red.

“Substantial shout out to all the people who have messaged me and congratulated me on the 153,” O’Sullivan said in a video posted on X, expressing his gratitude for the support he has received. “It was a pretty cool moment, really happy to do it. Thank you to everyone out there who has supported me.”

The 50-year-old’s dominant performance extended beyond the record-breaking break, as he went on to win the match against Ryan Day by a decisive 5-0 margin, securing his place in the semi-finals of the World Open. O’Sullivan already holds the record for the most maximum 147 breaks in his career, with 17 to his name.

This latest achievement adds to O’Sullivan’s already impressive list of accolades, which includes a shared record of seven World Championship titles with Stephen Hendry, 23 major titles, and 41 ranking titles. He also holds the record for the quickest 147 break, achieved in just 5 minutes and 8 seconds at the 1997 World Championship.