The Rocket - masters the game

What can I say. Coming down from 6-3 and perforing 147 in deciding frame. Not many players can do that.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his Maplin UK Championship semi-final with Mark Selby in magnificent fashion with a 147 break in the deciding frame WS

Having tied the scores at eight frames all, 32-year-old O'Sullivan showed all the skills that have made him a two-time world champion as he produced a maximum break when the chips were down to power through.

O'Sullivan will play Stephen Maguire in the final. ES

The Rocket crush Ding Junhui in the Masters final at Wembley

Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a vintage display of snooker to crush Ding Junhui 10-3 in the Masters final at Wembley.

There were doubts over the troubled star's participation at the prestigious invitational event after he was widely criticised after walking out of his quarter-final against Stephen Hendry in last month's UK Championship in York.

But the 31-year-old silenced the critics with a resounding victory over the Chinese teenager in which he scored four century breaks.

The 19-year-old took a 2-0 lead with runs of 77 and 109.

But then the Essex star took control, winning four frames in a row thanks to breaks of 55, 99, 128 and 101.

Ding pulled one back by edging a tight seventh frame only for O'Sullivan to hold a 5-3 lead after a fascinating afternoon session following a 116 break.

And the two-time world champion was unstoppable in the evening with a 96 break followed by a 65 clearance to snatch frame ten.

The Rocket was well on his way to his third Masters title, following his victories in 1995 and 2005, when he hammered home a 143 break in frame 11 and following runs of 48 and 49 in frame 12, Ding left the arena with his opponent consoling the visibly upset provisional world number five.

But things got no better for the youngster as O'Sullivan wrapped up victory in quick time before receiving the trophy from Steve Davis.

Ding, who appeared upset by remarks from a member of the audience, said: "I thought he had won the ninth frame of 17 and the match was over.

"It is very different to events like the China Open because the fans go in groups and I felt very alone here. I was a bit annoyed with the man's comments because I couldn't concentrate."

O'Sullivan said: "Ding is one of the rarest talents that I have seen and there is no doubt in my mind that he will become a multiple winner."

147 at 19 , Ding Junhui

Ding Junhui became the youngest player to score a maximum 147 break live on television on Sunday, beating the previous record set by Ronnie O'Sullivan by almost three years.

The Chinese player, aged 19 years and nine months, set the record as he swept aside fellow wildcard entry Anthony Hamilton 6-3 on the first day of the Masters Tournament.

There have been 27 other televised maximum breaks in the history of the sport, the first going back to 1982 when Briton Steve Davis achieved the feat.

"I didn't realise I was the youngest and I am very happy to go into the record books for the youngest scorer of a 147 break - I am feeling really special," Ding said.

"I felt the nerves on the last red to the middle pocket and the final black."

O'Sullivan scored his televised 147 at the world championships in 1997 when he was 22.

Source: Eurosport

Ronnie O'Sullivan is ready

The star met World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker on Wednesday to discuss his actions at York's Barbican Centre.

A spokesman for the governing body described as the meeting as "informal talks, not a disciplinary hearing".

And Walker told Five Live: "I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch with (Ronnie) today. He was relaxed and happy and I think is looking forward to doing as well as he can at the Masters.

"As chairman of World Snooker, I very much see Ronnie O'Sullivan as being an important part of the future."

O'Sullivan added another chapter to his controversial career by walking out while trailing 4-1 to Stephen Hendry in the UK Championship quarter-finals last month.

He later apologised through Doyle's 110sport Management company, but may still face disciplinary action by World Snooker.

Walker told Five Live he will write to the disciplinary committee on O'Sullivan's behalf.

More: BBCSport/snooker

Stephen Hendry

Stephen Hendry MBE (b. January 13, 1969), is a professional Snooker player.

Born in Edinburgh, he was brought up in Fife, where he attended Inverkeithing High School. Stephen now lives in the small town of Auchterarder.

In 1983, aged 14, Hendry won the National Under-16 Championship and also appeared for the first time on the BBC's Junior Pot Black. At 15, he was the Scottish Amateur Champion and also became the youngest ever entrant in the World Amateur Championships. Stephen retained his Scottish title in 1985 and at just 16 years and 3 months old, he became the youngest ever professional.
Hendry first won his first World Championships title in 1990 at the age of 21, becoming the youngest player ever to win the event.

Hendry holds several records. He has scored the most 147 breaks (eight) [1], and was the first player to have scored one in the deciding frame of a match; the final of the 1997 Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge. He has also compiled the most century breaks, currently 698, and he holds the most ranking event titles (36).

He is considered to be the greatest break builder the game has ever seen, having compiled a stunning 698 centuries in professional play as of the 17th December 2006. Unlike Steve Davis who, in the preceding decade, was strong in every department of the game, Hendry relied solely on his long potting and break building which were so formidable at the time that they compensated for his other deficiencies.

Hendry tends to play at a moderate pace, displaying complete ease throughout a frame, and methodically working through the vast majority of break building opportunities.

Crucible highs and lows in 2006

It's been a rollercoaster ride of drama and emotion at this year's World Snooker Championship.

So we asked celebrities, fans and our users to pick out their highs, lows and their most memorable moments from the last two weeks at The Crucible.

Dennis Taylor, BBC commentator, at The Crucible

Simon Hickman, from Dudley, at The Crucible

Q-double-T-P from the 606 messageboards

Alex Ananstasiou, aged 14, Derby, at The Crucible

Sonny Varma, from Nottingham, at The Crucible

Wildsnooker_loopy from the 606 messageboards

Former England cricketer Jack Russell painting The Crucible stage

More on BBC/Snooker

Ebdon beats Hendry

Peter Ebdon joined an elite band of players to have won both the UK Championship and the world title with a 10-6 win over Stephen Hendry in York.

The pair were locked at 4-4 after their opening session but Ebdon, 36, won the first four frames of the evening.

Hendry, whose form had disintegrated alarmingly, roused himself to close to 8-6 with a stirring break of 116.

But Ebdon, world champion in 2002, held his nerve and runs of 43, and a 70 in the last frame, sealed victory.

"I'm delighted with the way I'm playing - I can only get better," Hendry added.

"It was just a shame I couldn't finish it off today, but my time will come again this season."