How Ronnie O’Sullivan produced greatest Masters snooker display of all time against Ricky Walden in 2014 – ‘Unplayable’

An unsuspecting Walden ran into a Rocket on the rampage in the quarter-finals at the old Alexandra Palace on the afternoon of Friday, January 17 a decade ago.

The seven-time world champion and undisputed snooker GOAT does not so much arrive at the Masters as sweep in like some sort of heavyweight boxer, more like ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier than ‘Gentleman’ Joe Perry, the figure he eclipsed 10-7 for his record seventh Masters title in 2017.

It would be soon lights out for Walden not long after the table lights were switched on.

The raucous locals in London expect as much from O’Sullivan as a Morrissey concert, and like a prized pugilist fighting in front of his home crowd, he tends never to disappoint in carrying off the event another six times, quite remarkably achieved over three decades in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2016.

“It is unbelievable. I don’t know how he handles it, he thrives on it. Good luck to him.”

Having just lifted his fourth and fifth world titles in 2012 and 2013 respectively, O’Sullivan was busier than the Ally Pally stands in flattening the great Waldo in front of 1,500 ardent fans.

Walden made a break of 38 in the first frame before witnessing O’Sullivan reach a snooker state of utopia in completing a rousing 6-0 victory in only 57 minutes.

“Probably the best performance I have seen from anybody in all the years I’ve been coming to the Masters,” said 1997 world champion Ken Doherty in analysing the contest.

Breaks of 79, 88, 72, 134, 77 and 56 saw O’Sullivan set a new record of 556 points without reply as he sprinted to victory against an opponent curiously once dubbed the ‘Stamina Man’ because he ran a marathon.

Not that much stamina is needed to spend less than an hour sitting down.

Describing O’Sullivan as unplayable, the then world No. 11 commented: “That is the first time I have ever felt absolutely helpless on a snooker table.”

“I’ve had a great career, won some fantastic tournaments, I’ve won more than I expected I ever would and at this stage of my career it’s nice to put performances in like that to show people what I’m capable of,” O’Sullivan told reporters afterwards.

“It’s nice for the fans, it’s nice for the audiences on TV and I do feel a responsibility to try and offer entertainment for them.

“It was one of those games where whatever I touched turned to gold. At the World Championship in 2012, I did almost feel unplayable. I don’t think I am playing quite as well as I did there, but I’m not far off. At the 2012 World I could land the ball on a six-pence.”

Walden did little or nothing wrong to merit such brutal treatment, but he quickly came to appreciate this was several levels higher than his 6-5 win over Barry Hawkins in the first round. It was out of his league, and in snooker parlance, out of this world.

The fans who were in attendance can say they were there that day. Which says enough.

“For the first time in my career, the opponent was unplayable,” said Walden.

A session has never been more entertaining. It is perhaps fitting that such a performance was produced by the greatest player of all time.

Yet O’Sullivan on the money was worth far more to the ongoing folkore of the celebrated invitational event than any winner’s cheque.

Here is how we reported O’Sullivan’s iconic victory on its 10th anniversary:

By Desmond Kane at Alexandra Palace

Ronnie O’Sullivan produced arguably the greatest snooker exhibition of all time to complete a 6-0 win over a helpless Ricky Walden in the Masters quarter-finals at London’s Alexandra Palace.

O’Sullivan set a new points record in the professional era of 556 points without reply, beating the 495 compiled by China’s former Masters champion Ding Junhui in a 6-0 drubbing of Stephen Hendry in the 2007 Premier League.

This match lasted a paltry 57 minutes and 48 seconds as O’Sullivan went to work like the true snooker artist he is.

He was more or less unplayable such was the level of intensity and concentration with which O’Sullivan devoured the balls.

Walden could only watch as the world champion snared the first four frames in less than 50 minutes before a 1,500 sell-out crowd which included O’Sullivan’s close friend and fellow fans’ favourite Jimmy White.

O’Sullivan opened with a 79 before further rapid and absorbing breaks of 88, 72 and 134 helped him move 4-0 clear.

Walden did little or nothing wrong to merit such treatment, but he quickly came to appreciate this was several levels higher than a 6-5 win over Barry Hawkins in the first round. It was out of his league, and in snooker parlance, truly out of this world.

O’Sullivan ran in 387 points without reply after the first four frames before emerging from his tea break to make 77 in the fifth frame as Walden was forced to sit and watch some more.

A 56 and 39 ended Walden’s suffering. Not that he was looking too peaky having spent the hour sat on his chair. His 39 points to move 39-1 clear in the first frame was his only scoring contribution to the match.

Quite simply, nobody has played snooker – and arguably any sport – at a higher level than O’Sullivan in this sort of mood.