O'Sullivan agrees with Van Barneveld in age-old 147 vs 9-darter debate

13 April 2023 , 18:40

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Raymond van Barneveld set Ronnie O'Sullivan a poser (Image: Getty Images)

Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan agreed with darts star Raymond van Barneveld that a 147 break is tougher than a nine-dart finish.

O'Sullivan has recorded a maximum break on multiple occasions, and holds the record for the fastest ever. He has also recorded more 147s than any other player, bringing up his 15th in 2018, and there have been fewer than 200 maximums in official competition in the history of snooker.

Even fewer have recorded nine-dart finishes in televised events, with the 72nd such achievement taking place in 2023. Even so, stars of both sports believe the snooker achievement is more impressive than the quickest possible darts finish.

Speaking to O'Sullivan via Eurosport's 'Voice Notes' segment, Barneveld asked: "What is harder, a 147 break or a perfect nine-dart finish in darts?". The Dutchman added that he believed the snooker break was tougher, to the surprise of O'Sullivan.

"The 147 must be harder, I think," the snooker star said. "I think what you guys do on a dartboard and the way you make it look so easy is just unbelievable, so total respect to you guys.

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"Just being able to make a 147 or a nine-darter is a great achievement, but I tend to agree with you - maybe the 147 might be slightly harder, just because it's 36 shots and you've got only nine to do. We have to do four times the amount of work that you do."

Do you agree with O'Sullivan and Van Barneveld? Have your say in the comments section

No snooker player has more 147 breaks than Ronnie O'Sullivan (PA)

O'Sullivan also argued a 147 break was more impressive than a hole in one in golf. His argument in that instance was that there is luck involved in the latter.

The 47-year-old's comments came to light as he prepares for the 2023 World Snooker Championships. He has won two of the last three titles, beating Judd Trump by 18 frames to 13 in the 2022 final.

This time around, O'Sullivan will begin his title defence with a first-round tie against Pang Junxu. The Chinese youngster is taking part in the tournament proper for the first time, having come through qualifying to claim a spot at the Crucible.

If top seed O'Sullivan comes through his first round test, he will face another Chinese pro in round two. Ding Junhui reached the World Championship final in 2016, losing to Mark Selby, but has failed to repeat the feat in the years since.

Tom Victor