Special Sub-Topic: Ronnie O'Sullivan Click Here To Play: Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronnie won his first World Championship title in the 2000-01 season. Which Scottish player did he defeat in the final?

John Higgins. He beat John Higgins 18-14 in the final. Graeme Dott was the man O'Sullivan defeated when he won his second World Championship in the 2003-04 season. While Alan McManus never reached a World Championship final, he did beat O'Sullivan in Ronnie's debut match at the tournament in the 1992-93 season.

How old was O'Sullivan when he made his first maximum 147 break in tournament play?

15. Amazingly, his first tournament 147 was achieved at the age of 15. He was 10 when he made his first century break (scoring 117), 17 when he won his first ranking tournament, and 21 when he made his first maximum break at the world championship.

In 1993, Ronnie defeated Stephen Hendry 10-6 to win his first world ranking title at which event?

UK Championship. The UK Championship was Ronnie's first ranking title in 1993. He first won the Asian Classic in 1996, the Scottish Open in 1998, and the Welsh Open in 2004.

Why was O'Sullivan stripped of his Irish Masters title in 1998?

He failed a post match drugs test. He failed the drugs test after marijuana was found in his system, and the title was awarded to beaten finalist Ken Doherty. O'Sullivan was fined for assaulting Mike Ganley at the World Championship in 1996.

Which season was Ronnie's first as the world's number one ranked player?

2002-03. In becoming world number one, Ronnie knocked Mark Williams off the top spot for the 2002-03 season. Williams regained the prestigious position for 2003-04, only for O'Sullivan to again claim the number one spot for 2004-05.

In winning a match against Ali Carter at the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy, what unique feat did O'Sullivan achieve?

He made cenury breaks in each of the 5 frames he won. He won the match 5-2 with breaks of 108, 122, 107, 147 (maximum), and 129.

Ronnie is ambidextrous and often plays shots left-handed. When he first displayed this skill at the World Championship in 1996, his opponent made an official complaint stating that O'Sullivan had been disrespectful. Which Canadian player made this complaint?

Alain Robidoux. After winning the match 10-3, O'Sullivan had claimed that he was a better player left-handed than Robidoux was right-handed. As a part of his disciplinary hearing, O'Sullivan proved his skill by winning three frames playing left-handed against Rex Williams (a former World Championship finalist).

O'Sullivan was the first player to make 2 maximum breaks at the World Championship, achieving this feat first in 1997 and again in 2003. Which two players were on the receiving end?

Mick Price & Marco Fu. He scored the first 147 break during his 10-6 first round win against Mick Price in 1997. The second was during another first round match in 2003. However, Ronnie actually lost 10-6 to Marco Fu despite the maximum break. Fergal O'Brien is famous for being the first player to score a century break in his first ever frame at the World Championship, while Robert Milkins is famous as the first player to score a 147 break in World Championship qualifying.

In 2006, Ronnie was trailing 4-0 to Stephen Hendry in a quarterfinal match at the UK Championship. What happened next?

Ronnie conceeded the match. Ronnie just shook Hendry's hand, told him he'd had enough and walked out! This action resulted in a fine and ranking point deduction. The towel incident relates to a match between O'Sullivan and Mark King at the World Championship in 2005. The female streaker appeared at the 1997 Masters in a match against Steve Davis. Hendry managed to win the World Championship in 1994 despite a broken arm.

In the 1992-93 season Ronnie won a match in just 43 minutes at an event in Blackpool. This broke the record for the fastest ever victory that had previously been held by which other quick potter?

Tony Drago. O'Sullivan's nickname "The Rocket" was coined by MC Alan Hughes shortly after this blistering victory.