Stephen Hendry names only player who could beat Ronnie O'Sullivan's iconic world record Crucible 147 - 'Incredible talent'
By Desmond Kane
Published 02/07/2025 at 10:12 GMT+1
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Ronnie O'Sullivan produced the greatest 147 in history when he compiled his iconic maximum in a 10-6 win over Mick Price in the first round of the 1997 World Championship. The snooker GOAT's clearance was clocked at five minutes and eight seconds, rounded down from being wrongly timed at five minutes and 20 secs. His 147 has stood the test of time for 28 years and counting, but could it be beaten?
What is the greatest 147? White, Evans talk rankings with Murphy after his Shoot Out maximum
Video credit: TNT Sports
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is the only player in professional snooker who could challenge Ronnie O'Sullivan's historic and ground-breaking 28-year-old world record 147, according to Stephen Hendry.
Hendry has named the Thai speed merchant as his favourite player in the sport to watch, placing him just above his fellow seven-time world champion O'Sullivan on his all-time top five list of attacking figures.
O'Sullivan made the fastest 147 in history when he compiled a maximum in five minutes and eight seconds in the first round of the 1997 World Championship against Mick Price at the Crucible, a record that nobody has come close to beating in the past 28 years.
Hendry feels world No. 46 Un-Nooh would be the only professional who could play fast enough to topple the landmark effort.
"If anybody was going to get close to Ronnie's 147 in five minutes, Thepchaiya would be the man to do it," said Hendry on the World Snooker Tour podcast.
"He loves making a 147. Incredible talent, incredible speed, incredible player.
"Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is my favourite player to watch. What a talent, an unbelievable talent.
"He beat me 6-1 in the [2021] UK Championship qualifiers. He had five centuries and I don't think any of them took over seven or eight minutes.
"The cue ball was on a string. It wasn't like it was crash, bang, wallop...it was absolute perfection.
"When he is on it, how he is ranked where he is ranked in the world...but talent isn't enough to be successful in any sport.
"And he proves it because he has got bucketloads of talent. I just love watching him play. It is all-out attack, and he refuses nothing."
Hendry's comments echo those of Trump before he defeated Un-Nooh 10-5 in the 2019 World Open final.
"Thepchaiya is the most exciting player, I think he's even overtaken Ronnie now," said the world No. 1. "I think a lot of the other professionals feel he is the best to watch.
"I probably agree with that. He is free-flowing and doesn't look under pressure.
"We need more people like that in snooker."
Former Shoot Out winner Un-Nooh has hit four glorious maximum breaks between 2016 and 2023, but also remains the only professional who has three times failed to make a 147 when requiring only the final black.
Hendry opted for O'Sullivan in second spot behind Un-Nooh, with Jack Lisowski, Judd Trump and Jimmy White making up his top five of the game's greatest entertainers.
"It's not rocket science, my top five, you can tell the type of snooker I like to watch," he said.
"I love watching Ronnie. He's the greatest player of all time. Break-building, cue ball control. If you don't like watching that, you don't like watching snooker basically.
"When he's on, he plays the game perfectly. Cue action. Incredible to watch. Plays the game the way it's supposed to be played."
Initially wrongly timed at five minutes and 20 seconds, O'Sullivan's sublime break was officially rounded down and ratified as five minutes and eight seconds by the Guinness Book of Records before 21-year-old Ronnie was officially dubbed 'The Rocket' for the fastest 147 of all time.
Trailing 8-5, Price broke off for the 14th frame before O'Sullivan slotted a long red after his opponent caught a safety attempt thin.
It was fitting that Len Ganley – the sport's most celebrated 1980s referee beyond the advent of colour TV – was on hand to fetch the balls, never once breaking sweat while O'Sullivan went into positional autopilot, and never once losing control of the white ball.
"Big Len was one of our top referees," said O'Sullivan. "I think that is how I got my nickname 'The Rocket' after that break. It was a good moment. I still remember it pretty well."
Masters champion Shaun Murphy produced a maximum in seven minutes and 35 seconds at the Shoot Out in 2023 under the confines of a shot clock, an effort that thrilled White.
"Absolutely amazing," said the six-time world finalist, who placed it above Cliff Thorburn's landmark 147 at the 1983 World Championship, the first in Crucible history.
"You've made history in the Shoot Out. I don't think that will be equalled. To do it in the Shoot Out with the shot clock and crowd...
"Ronnie’s 147 was absolutely amazing because of how quick it was, Thorburn because it was the first one at the Crucible.
"But I think we have to put Shaun’s second in the all-time 147 [list] because of the situation."
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'Phenomenal achievement' - Murphy makes first maximum 147 break at Shoot Out
Video credit: TNT Sports
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