In 2001, Ronnie O’Sullivan won his first World Snooker Championship. Now, a quarter of a century later, he is aiming for a record-breaking eighth title.

The 50-year-old has lifted the trophy seven times, a feat only matched by Stephen Hendry in the 1990s, with no-one in the modern era having more success.

O’Sullivan already holds numerous snooker records, including being the oldest Crucible final winner following his most recent success in 2022, aged 46.

But even after having reached his own half-century, the player dubbed the Rocket is still blasting to new heights.

Last month at the World Open in China he made a break of 153, the highest ever recorded in professional snooker, after benefiting from an early snooker that left him a free ball, which then acted like a 16th red.

He reached the final of that tournament, and Shaun Murphy, who lost 5-3 to O’Sullivan in the last 16, was impressed with how he performed.

“When I played him in Yushan he seemed pretty sharp and it was a very high-quality match,” said 2005 world champion Murphy. “He has not been at his brilliant best this season, but when he gets in and in flow he is still as good as ever.

“It would be great for snooker if he did get to eight and great for him – it’s a story everyone wants to write and it would be an incredible achievement.

“But he is running out of time so he needs to do it sooner or later, but it’s Ronnie O’Sullivan so you wouldn’t put anything past him.”