Ronnie O'Sullivan set to mark seventh anniversary of special moment in golden snooker career in return to action at International Championship
By Desmond Kane
Published 31/10/2025 at 10:52 GMT
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Ronnie O'Sullivan earned a huge £147,000, plus another £33,300 for two-thirds share of the £50,000 highest break prize in making the 16th and 17th maximums of his career at the Saudi Arabia Masters in August. It was a bit more than the £2,000 he earned from rolling in his 15th career 147 at the English Open seven years ago. O'Sullivan returns to action at the International Championship on Sunday.
O'Sullivan begins semi-final with incredible 147 at Saudi Arabia Masters
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O'Sullivan will take a trip down memory lane when he faces fellow Englishman Allan Taylor in the first round of the International Championship in Nanjing on Sunday morning, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
World No. 76 Taylor was O'Sullivan's opponent when he produced his 15th competitive 147 in the second round of the English Open in October 2018, a match that saw him close out a 4-0 whitewash with a superb maximum at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley.
O'Sullivan waited seven years to produce the 16th and 17th maximums of his golden 33-year career in a 6-3 victory over Chris Wakelin in the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Masters in August.
He was also due to face Taylor in the first round of the Wuhan Open in August, but opted to skip the ranking event in his commitment to a reduced playing schedule.
Despite infamously claiming the venue was a "hellhole" that "smelled of urine" two days earlier, O'Sullivan enjoyed the sweet smell of success by rolling in a magnificent 147 seven years ago.
It was the last of his career until he became the first player in history to produce two in one match against Wakelin.
The seven-time world champion has only come across Taylor one other time on tour as he enjoyed a 4-2 win in the first round of the Scottish Open during the Covid lockdown in Milton Keynes five years ago.
After slotting green on his way to his 147 against Taylor, he turned to the crowd and commented: "It's all gone quiet."
Watched by future world champion Luca Brecel on an outside table, O'Sullivan managed to nudge in a tough cut on a blue to left-centre before draining the pink to the opposite middle bag.
The black disappearing prompted a huge roar of appreciation from the Crawley crowd.
"I did think about it from the first red, because I thought, 'I've got to try and do something from this match, to get myself excited' – I was going for it," said O'Sullivan.
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O'Sullivan continues to chase a 42nd ranking title after being edged out 10-9 by Neil Robertson in an epic final in Saudi Arabia that saw him lead 9-8 from 7-2 behind, only to be denied in the final few balls.
He has reached two quarter-finals, at the Shanghai Masters and the Xi'an Grand Prix, in his other two outings of the season.
But he has apparently rejected the chance to compete at the Champion of Champions in Leicester next month after being last week told he would earn an invitation based on his world ranking.
O'Sullivan has never won the International Championship, but meets Taylor in his best-of-11 frame opener at 06:00 UK time on Sunday morning, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, with the winner meeting Sanderson Lam in the last 64.
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He’s done it again! Watch as O’Sullivan makes second 147 in stunning semi-final showing
Video credit: TNT Sports
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the International Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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