It’s only the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championships but history has already been made.  With both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter finding tremendous form to make 147 maximum breaks this is the first time there has been two 147 breaks in the same ranking tournament.  They will now collect and share the £147,000 bonus for a maximum and £10,000 for the highest break of the tournament.  After making his 147 in an incredible 8 minutes and 47 seconds O’Sullivan said “That money gives me a few options in the summer.  I’ll be getting a Bentley convertible now – I’ve been dying to get one!”

In many ways this situation perfectly sums up O’Sullivan’s performance throughout this tournament.  A true genius of the game, Ronnie has effortlessly glided through the rounds, picking off opponents with ease.   Looking equally strong is seven-time Crucible champion Steven Hendry, who after several years in the wilderness seems to have refound his form, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2004.  Hendry is due to take on O’Sullivan for a place in the final and in the other semi-final match Ali Carter will take on Joe Perry.
    
If you are into betting then the smart money would still be on O’Sullivan, with Blue Square offering odds on Ronnie winning the championship at 7/2.  Carter and Perry are joint second favourites at 7/1, while Hendry is the outside bet at 33/1.  Incidentally, the odds on Ronnie scoring another 147 maximum break, and breaking yet another snooker record, have been slashed to 10/1.

O’Sullivan has faced a lot of criticism about his commitment to the sport and he himself has often speculated about early retirement (even saying that he planned to leave snooker to become a professional marathon runner at one point).  However, his apparent disillusionment with the game off the table has not affected his performances and in every match he has looked focused and disciplined.  

Hendry’s appearances so far also suggest a man reenergised by the game.  His triumph over Ryan Day for a place in the semis was classic Hendry and he has eased his way through to the last four.  At 39 however, many people think that Hendry’s best days are behind him and the seven times world champion has not had victory on the world stage since 1999.  Carter and Perry have had limited success at the world championships.  Neither of them have made it passed the last eight, and faced by the awesome skill of O’Sullivan would struggle to rise to the occasion of a Crucible final.  However, Carter’s stunning 147 maximum break may be just the motivation he needs to pull out two more career defining performances and take the title.