sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Mark Selby's 6 Minute Shot At NI Open Took Longer Than Ronnie O'Sullivan's Fastest 147 Break In History

Mark Selby's 6 Minute Shot At NI Open Took Longer Than Ronnie O'Sullivan's Fastest 147 Break In History

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s maximum 147 break in the 1997 World Championship took just five minutes and eight seconds.

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

Mark Selby's slow play during his quarter-final clash against John Higgins at the Northern Ireland Open has been compared to Ronnie O'Sullivan's famous 147.

The three-time World Champion, who was eventually beaten 5-4 by the Scotsman, was sitting on a break of 66 when he spent a total of six minutes and 13 seconds on a single shot.

Selby's shot time has since brought a whirlwind of discussion, including a comparison to Ronnie O'Sullivan's remarkable 147 break.

O'Sullivan famously recorded the fastest 147 break in snooker history at the 1997 World Championship, where he potted every ball in just five minutes and 20 seconds.

That means the world number two's remarkable achievement is an incredible 53 seconds faster than Selby's shot last week - something that has brought plenty of discussion on social media in recent days, including a reaction from Selby himself.





Promotor Barry Hearn has since made comment that he doesn't want to see a player given that long over a shot again at the UK Championship.

"I don't want to see a player given that long over a shot again at the UK Championship." he told The Daily Mail.

"Six minutes is a hell of a long time, unbelievable really as there are only so many computations.

"Mark himself said he was guilty of over-thinking the shot, and he has summed that up pretty well.

Image: PA
Image: PA

"But I would like to think the referee after a reasonable amount of time on any difficult shot should make a point of saying something. Six minutes is too long.

"I understand the ref's reticence to a point at a tense moment, but generally I wouldn't expect a player to take anywhere near that long without being asked 'Can you make your mind up'?

"I would add I am less concerned in principle over one shot or one frame - and more bothered with consistent offending.

"And we are very pleased overall with the progress on speed of play by naming and shaming those falling outside the 30 seconds a shot."

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: SPORT, Ronnie O'Sullivan, snooker