Ronnie O'Sullivan: Englishman makes 15th maximum break at English Open

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Ronnie O'SullivanImage source, Getty Images
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Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for the fastest maximum 147 break - made in just over five minutes

Ronnie O'Sullivan hit his 15th career maximum 147 break at the English Open, two days after describing the venue as a "hellhole".

The five-time world champion made the total clearance in the final frame of his second-round 4-0 whitewash of Allan Taylor at the K2 in Crawley.

However, he will have to share the £17,000 total prize after Thepchaiya Un-Nooh's 147 on Tuesday.

On Monday O'Sullivan, 42, criticised the venue, saying it smelt of urine.

But the defending champion was in superb form against Essex cueman Taylor, also making a 135 break in the second frame, as he wrapped up victory in just over an hour.

Meanwhile, world number one Mark Selby is out of the tournament, losing 4-3 to fellow Leicester potter Ben Woollaston on the final black.

O'Sullivan will face Matthew Stevens after he beat Jimmy White 4-0, while world champion Mark Williams whitewashed Switzerland's Alexander Ursenbacher and John Higgins defeated Nigel Bond 4-1.

"It's nice to get a 147 for the crowd. Whether it's a good 147 or a bad 147, in their eyes it's just a 147 so they're all happy," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"For me it's more about piecing together a cue action that is capable of winning tournaments.

"I guess 147s and hundreds make for good soundbites, but for me as a purist it's always more about feeling like you can win tournaments."

It is O'Sullivan's second maximum in 2018, having made one against Elliot Slessor at the China Open in April.

His two hundred-plus breaks in the match also took the world number three to 956 career centuries.

Responding to O'Sullivan's criticism of the venue, World Snooker said other players' feedback was "overwhelmingly positive" and felt the K2 was "an excellent venue with very good facilities".

Elsewhere on Wednesday, 2010 world champion Neil Robertson and world number 13 Ryan Day made it through to the third round, but China's number two Liang Wenbo lost to Scotland's Eden Sharav.

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