O'Sullivan makes highest-ever break with historic 153
· BBC SportByEmily Salley
BBC Sport journalist
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has created more snooker history by making the sport's highest-ever professional break with a 153 at the World Open in Yushan.
Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan set the new record in the opening frame of his quarter-final with Welshman Ryan Day to pave the way for a dominant 5-0 victory.
The 50-year-old left Day in a snooker at the start of the frame and the Welshman's failure to escape gifted O'Sullivan a free ball.
He potted the green as an extra red before adding his opening black and then reeling off 15 reds, 13 further blacks and two pinks before clearing the final six colours to reach 153.
It breaks the previous record for the highest professional break - a 148 set by Scotland's Jamie Burnett at the UK Championship qualifiers in 2004.
"Just want to say a big shoutout to all the people who have been messaging me, congratulating me on the 153," O'Sullivan said in a video posted on X.
"It was a pretty cool moment, really happy to do it. Thank you to everyone out there that has supported me."
The maximum break in snooker is a 147 - achieved in a single frame by potting all 15 reds with 15 blacks followed by all six colours in sequence.
However, the highest possible break is 155. This can be done when when a player is awarded a free ball, pots the free ball as an extra red, then the black and then goes on to pot the 15 reds with blacks, plus the colours.
"I could have tried to get the other black but I thought 'I don't think anyone's made a break above 147 on TV', so I thought I'd be the first," O'Sullivan said.
"I've been the first of many things so I thought I might as well get that one too. I feel blessed to be able to achieve these things."
O'Sullivan also spoke about maintaining his excitement for snooker: "I've never made anything more than a 147. For me it's the excitement, the buzz.
"If the excitement and the buzz is there I can do great things. I need to think there's a good reward at the end of it. Then you get focused, it sharpens the mind up a bit."
While it has never been accomplished in a professional tournament, World Snooker say "several players have made a 155 in practice matches".
Reacting to O'Sullivan's 153, former world champion Neil Robertson said: "The best ever and the best there ever will be. Snooker fans I hope you've cherished him over the years in the joy he's brought to millions over four decades."
O'Sullivan will face China's Wu Yize in the semi-finals after he stormed past Northern Ireland's Mark Allen with a 5-1 win.
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