Is this Ronnie O'Sullivan's most underrated break at the World Snooker Championship in Crucible semi-final with John Higgins? - 'Absolutely lethal'

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Ronnie O'Sullivan has produced some wonderful breaks since first appearing at the World Championship in 1993, but there is one effort that flies under the radar.

Flashback: O'Sullivan 'summons up break out of nowhere' in classic with Higgins

Video credit: TNT Sports

O'Sullivan compiled majestic runs of 134, 121, 116, 107, 101, 99, 91, 83, 73, 70, 70, 67, 55, 55, 54 and 54 in a 17-11 win over John Higgins, who he faces in the last 16 this year, in the 2022 Crucible semi-finals.

But the 82 break he produced in the 18th frame to lead Higgins 11-7 in the third session of the match had to be seen to be believed.

With O'Sullivan only 10-7 clear and trailing 32-22 in a taut tactical juncture of the contest, the snooker GOAT was faced with the prospect of a tricky long red and eight of the reds apparently out of commission, bunched at the right-hand side at the top end of the table.

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O'Sullivan embarked upon quite a remarkable sequence of pots in clearing up to the black, a run that had to be seen to be believed, as he restored his four-frame advantage from a frame lasting over 35 minutes and mired in safety play.

"A wonderful break. There was 17 minutes with nothing potted," said David Hendon on TNT Sports commentary.

It came after he won an absorbing 16th frame on a re-spotted black with a stunning cameo break of 43, requiring blacks with the final two reds and colours.

"He's proven again what an extraordinary competitor he is, what an extraordinary player he is," said Hendon as O'Sullivan closed on a seventh world title with an 18-13 final victory over Judd Trump equalling Stephen Hendry's modern-day haul.

"There's very few people born on the planet who could do what he's just done there," said the 1991 world champion John Parrott.

"Come and have a look at this table, put this up in your club and see how many points you make from there."

Ronnie O'Sullivan studies the table during his 2022 semi-final meeting with John Higgins

Image credit: Getty Images

O'Sullivan's most iconic break at the sport's greatest tournament over the past three decades came when he made a world-record 147 in only five minutes and eight seconds against Mick Price in the first round in 1997, an effort that was wrongly clocked at the time as five minutes and 20 seconds.

There was also a celebrated 92 clearance against Ali Carter in his 18-12 final win over his old Essex rival that delivered world title number four in 2012.

With the title match locked at 3-3 in the first session, Carter missed a red to a centre pocket trailing 16-0, but probably thought he would return to the table.

With pink and black out of commission, and several reds welded to side cushions, the frame seemed destined to go deep.

The late Willie Thorne, watching with some relish in the commentary box, boldly predicted that "he'd do well to get above 20 here", before O'Sullivan embarked upon the seemingly impossible break.

"Ronnie O'Sullivan, the Mozart of snooker, has just made as magisterially perfect a clearance as I've ever seen. I'm bathed in bliss," commented the engrossed Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, writer and dedicated snooker lover.

Flashback: O'Sullivan completes thrilling semi victory over Higgins in 2022

Video credit: TNT Sports

O'Sullivan and Higgins are locked at three wins apiece in Crucible meetings, with Higgins 80-76 ahead on frames won since their first meeting in the 1996 quarter-finals when O'Sullivan edged an epic 13-12.

"He was absolutely lethal among the balls," said Higgins after his last meeting with O'Sullivan at the Crucible four years ago ended in a six-frame defeat.

"I don't think he actually missed when he was on breaks. He maybe broke down when he didn't get a split on the pack a few times, but he was absolutely lethal."

Higgins and O'Sullivan play the first of three sessions on Saturday night at 19:00, live on TNT Sports and on-demand on HBO Max.

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