"No one ever thought it would be possible, a millennium of centuries. You're the millennial man, Ronnie"
Tuesday 12 March 2019 16:33, UK
Broadcaster and snooker fan Stephen Fry has sent a message to history-making Ronnie O'Sullivan, saying: "It's a privilege to be alive at the same time as you."
O'Sullivan, still snooker's box-office attraction after 25 years at the top of the sport, wowed the crowd at Preston's Guild Hall on Sunday night as he became the first player to make 1,000 career centuries.
In true O'Sullivan style, he did it with some extra verve, stepping away from a routine red for the landmark to tease the crowd, before returning to pot it left-handed as opposed to his usual right. The break clinched a 10-4 Players Championship Final win over Neil Robertson.
Fry is a snooker fan and tweeted an immediate tribute on Sunday thanking the 43-year-old, before returning on Monday with an even more appreciative message.
"Ronnie, you've done it, a thousand centuries, it's extraordinary," he said. "How many more is it than I've made? It's a thousand more than even I have made, it's an incredible achievement. No one ever thought it would be possible, a millennium of centuries. You're the millennial man, Ronnie.
"I know you must get tired of hearing this, Mozart, genius at work and all that, probably bores you rigid, but I wish you knew, perhaps you do, just how much pleasure you've given to millions of us who adore snooker, and who find watching you play one of the most thrilling sights in all of sport.
"It's been a privilege to be alive at the same time as you, Ronnie, it's a wonderful thing. So thank you, as well as congratulations."
