Ronnie O’Sullivan left even himself shocked with a performance for the ages at the Saudi Arabia Masters.
The seven time champion produced his first 147 maximum break in seven years, and then incredibly proceeded to show off with a second.
Unsurprisingly, those two frames which left Chris Wakelin planted to his seat sent O’Sullivan to a 6-3 semi-final win, booking a final spot against Australian Neil Robertson.
Wakelin was one of the first to respond, simply calling the 49-year-old the greatest of all time.
“That was special. What a player #GOAT,” he wrote on social media.
1997 world champion Ken Doherty was similarly stunned, saying on commentary as he struggled to catch his breath: “I think it is the greatest exhibition in a best of-11 match, and possibly ever.
“The breaks, the two 147s, the 142…I mean, that was just incredible.
“It was just magical wasn’t it? He’s just such a genius. Just the way he did it, with consummate ease.
“It’s almost like he’s in the practice room there and just like not really bothered.
“It made me smile, it was really nice, lovely for the crowd and lovely for us.
“It was just like another day at the office for him, he just made it look so, so easy.”
The result of O’Sullivan’s remarkable performance in Jeddah is a £180,333 bonus, and next up is a £500,000 prize if he downs Robertson in the final.
The two 147s were the 16th and 17th of The Rocket’s legendary career and also earned him another £147,000 bonus for making a pair across two of snooker’s four major tournaments, the Saudi Arabia Masters plus the Triple Crown events – the UK Championship, Masters and World Championship.
At 49 years and 253 days he also set a new record as the oldest-ever player to record a 147, with his 17 now well clear of John Higgins’ 13 in the all-time list.
O’Sullivan was just as impressed by himself, saying: “I have never played that well, I think, in a match before. I don’t know where it came from.
“I heard it was 50 grand for a 147, so I thought that was worth going for,” said the record 41-time ranking event winner,”Then I’m thinking: ‘If I get another one…let’s get another one’…”
Despite human rights concerns and low attendances in Saudi Arabia, O’Sullivan, who runs a snooker school in the country, thinks the stage helped him.
“In China you have a different energy, in the UK it is a different energy,” he explained.
“If it was in America, it would be a different energy, and here in Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East, it is a different energy.
“It is a very cosy atmosphere here. If you compare Wimbledon to the US Open [in tennis], they go nuts in America, while at Wimbledon, they are a bit more quiet, a bit more reserved.
“That’s just the cultural thing. How people are. The crowds have been good here, very cosy, very chilled.
“I prefer playing in this atmosphere than the rowdy ones. I don’t like the rowdy thing, it scares me a little bit.
“I like relaxed, calm, playing in a nice cosy atmosphere.”
O’Sullivan could now end up leaving the country with a gargantuan £680,333 for just a weeks work, and fellow pro Steven Hallworth explained why he deserves every penny.
“He is a global language, isn’t he, Ronnie O’Sullivan?” he said.
“You say the name and he is snooker. This is why we love him. What a player.
“If there was ever a question as to what the game means to ‘The Rocket’ still, he has just answered it there.
“What a moment for the crowd as well. There are probably people here… that may be the first frame of snooker they’ve ever seen. It’s not always that easy, guys. It’s just this man makes it look ridiculously easy.”