Ronnie O’Sullivan, Hurricane Higgins and Jimmy White feature in the list of the top 10 snooker shots of all time, but which one deserves the top spot?
The second-most coveted snooker tournament, The Masters, begins this Saturday at Alexandra Palace. As the top 16 players in the world compete for the £750,000 prize pot, there will no doubt be some world-class action taking place from start to finish.
But before this tournament commences, an often-debated topic is ‘what is the greatest snooker shot of all time?’
It’s no surprise Ronnie O’Sullivan features more than once on this list of the top 10 shots of all time. The Rocket is known for his fast and attacking style of play and this clearly pays off as he is recognised as one of the greatest players of all time, having won a record total of 20 Triple Crown titles. O'Sullivan will be in action at the upcoming Masters tournament.
O’Sullivan’s first shot to appear on the list comes from the 2014 Welsh Open final, where he was up against Ding Junhui. The Rocket was on his way to a 147 break when he found his last red in a tricky spot. He was forced to play the shot with his left hand, but this did not seem to phase the six-time world champion as he calmly potted the red and left himself in a perfect position to pot the black.
Another name that comes as no surprise being on this list is Alex Higgins, known more commonly as Hurricane Higgins.
The shot he features for took place in the 1982 World Championship semi-final, where Higgins was facing Jimmy White. His opponent was one frame away from winning the match and led the frame 59-0 when Higgins potted the blue in true Hurricane style. He then went on to make a break of 69 which ultimately kept him in the game, which he eventually won, making it through to the final in the process.
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry also appears on the list for his incredible pot of the blue under the most pressure in the 1990 UK Championship final. His opponent Steve Davis was one frame away from winning when Hendry needed to pot the blue and pink in order to stay in the match. With the blue ball close to the side cushion, it was always going to be a tricky shot, but the youngster made it look easy as he went on to win the frame and win the final at the age of 21.
So there you have it, 10 of the top snooker shots of all time, but which is the best of the best?