How Ronnie O'Sullivan was denied 26-year-old snooker world record at Scottish Open in Edinburgh by a VAR review - 'Quite remarkable'
Published 16/12/2025 at 12:16 GMT
Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the majority of the major records in snooker, but the snooker GOAT was denied one of his most memorable feats in agonising fashion at the Scottish Open in Edinburgh three years ago, the last time he played in the Home Nations Series event. O'Sullivan's 118 in a 4-0 win over Bai Langning in the first round at Meadowbank Sports Centre remains an awe-inspiring break.
Flashback: O'Sullivan's 'whirlwind' century which fell just short of world record after VAR review
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Ronnie O'Sullivan was denied one of the most memorable achievements of his golden career at the 2022 Scottish Open in Edinburgh by only three seconds.
The seven-time world champion's rapid 118 in the second frame of a 4-0 first-round win over Bai Langning was initially clocked at only three minutes and 24 seconds.
"This is quite remarkable," said former world No. 3 Neal Foulds during the concluding moments of a contribution that seemed to get quicker and quicker with referee Rob Spencer racing to re-spot the colours.
"I wonder if that is the quickest century break ever made? I can’t imagine there has been a quicker one.
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a quicker century break in the history of the game than this."
That seemed more than rapid enough to overtake Tony Drago's all-time mark of three minutes and 31 seconds, set at the 1996 UK Championship, until a VAR review by World Snooker Tour deemed the effort to be three seconds slower than the famed Maltese speed merchant.
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Fellow commentator Philip Studd said: "This has been a blur of brilliance from O’Sullivan even by his standards.
"It has taken the breath away. That was whirlwind stuff from The Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan to the delight of this capacity crowd here in Edinburgh.
"He doubles his lead in style."
O'Sullivan completed the whitewash victory over a stunned Bai in under an hour, clocking an average shot time of only 11.4 seconds a shot.
"I just felt like I needed to speed up a bit and try and enjoy it," he said afterwards.
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"I just tried to get it done as quickly as I could, win or lose. In and out, quickly as you can. I wasn't timing it myself, but it seemed quick."
It was the second time O'Sullivan was involved in a shot clock controversy while chasing a world record break on the green baize.
His remarkable world-record 147 break set in the 1997 World Championship first round against Mick Price, which nobody has touched since, was also wrongly timed at five minutes and 20 seconds and later rounded down to five minutes and eight seconds.
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"The first part of the break, I was just trying to do what you have to do, which is try and be as clinical as you can," he said.
"And then once the frame was won I thought: 'let's see if we can beat the fastest [century break].'
"I knew Drago probably had it."
O'Sullivan has not played at the Scottish Open since his incredible effort, but at least he has the consolation of the second-fastest century of all time from his trip to Edinburgh.
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