Better than Stephen Hendry? What does Ronnie O'Sullivan's sixth world title mean for his legacy?
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Updated 19/12/2020 at 15:50 GMT
Does Ronnie O’Sullivan’s latest World Snooker Championship win move him above Stephen Hendry as the greatest player of all time? This article was first published in August after O'Sullivan won a sixth world crown.
Ronnie O'Sullivan (L) and Stephen Hendry in 2008
Image credit: Getty Images
That was a question posed on The Break podcast with Eurosport’s Neal Foulds, Dave Hendon and Rachel Casey, as they reflected on O’Sullivan winning a sixth world title and discussed the best and worst moments of the tournament.
O’Sullivan is now one behind Hendry’s record of seven world titles but has overtaken him at the top of the list of ranking event wins with 37.
Foulds says he believes O’Sullivan has surpassed Hendry.
“There will always be people who say Hendry is the greatest of all time, but even they are going to struggle now as they have said ‘well until he wins seven titles’ – but what happens when he does?
“Stephen is a good friend of mine and I felt he was the greatest player for years, but Ronnie has gone by him.
“I don’t know how Stephen Hendry feels about Ronnie winning a sixth title because he does like to keep some of his records but he is complimentary about O’Sullivan because he knows what a player he is.
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“He is the greatest player I have ever seen and it’s such a long span – and we are not at the end.”
Hendon agreed that O’Sullivan’s longevity is impressive.
While Hendry won his seven world titles in 10 years, O’Sullivan has won his over three decades.
“It’s kind of the Beatles and the Stones. The Beatles did it all in a decade and then split up and the Stones are still going now!
“Ronnie, looking at how fit he is and how he is still playing, I don’t see any reason why he can’t sustain a certain level of excellence for the next 10 years.”
How Ronnie became world champion and what changes now
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s sixth world title is expertly analysed by Eurosport’s Neal Foulds and Dave Hendon, who join Rachel Casey to look back on the Betfred World Snooker Championship.
We hear from both The Rocket and beaten finalist Kyren Wilson. Barry Hearn reflects on the battle to get fans back into The Crucible, plus we discuss the best and worst of the championship.
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