Ronnie O’Sullivan is widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker players to ever grace the table, and how effortlessly he has returned to action over the past week has only justified those claims further.
Coming into the World Snooker Championship off the back of a three-month hiatus, the Rocket has cruised into the final four of the competition as he bids to win his eighth title and further etch his name into the history books.
O’Sullivan is currently tied with Stephen Hendry for the most world titles in the modern era (seven), but the duo are still a distance away from becoming the very best snooker star. Instead, Joe Davis remains the all-time best.
He won the first 15 World Championships and his dominance was a catalyst in the growth of snooker as a sport. Remarkably, Davis never tasted defeat in the history of the tournament, and remains the only player to achieve such a feat.
Davis retired in 1964, five years before the birth of the ‘modern era’ of snooker – which is largely why the legend is often overlooked in conversations about the greatest in the history of the sport. He also enjoyed plenty of success in billiards as well.
Davis turned professional in 1919 and made history when becoming the first player to win World Championships in both billiards and snooker, as well as the first to make a 147 break. He retired with just four losses in his professional career, all of which came at the hands of his brother Fred when giving him a one-frame advantage.
In 1978, Davis collapsed whilst watching his brother compete in the World Championship semi-finals, before contracting a chest infection during his recovery and passing away. Although not a household name, O’Sullivan has spoken about the legacy that the snooker and billiards icon left, as well as his out-of-reach records.
The Rocket will be hoping to continue his remarkable return when he faces Zhao Xintong in the semi-finals at the Crucible on Thursday and Friday following his victories over fierce rival Ali Carter, Pang Junxu and Si Jiahui. In the other semi-final of the tournament, Judd Trump will take on Mark Williams, who progressed into the final four after a dramatic clash with John Higgins.