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Five of Ronnie O'Sullivan's best centuries

Snooker's great showman is closing in on 1,000 competitive 100.

Over 30 years after rattling in his first century break at the age of 10, Ronnie O'Sullivan stands on the brink of registering his 1,000th competitive ton.

O'Sullivan will head into his first round match against Luke Simmonds at the UK Championships in York next week just 22 short of the momentous milestone.

He may be best known for his quickfire maximum breaks, but the 42-year-old has scored a number of other memorable three-figure breaks. Here Press Association Sport picks out five of the best of them:

147 v MICK PRICE, 1997 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Regarded as probably the greatest break in the sport's history, O'Sullivan rattled in a Crucible maximum in a record-breaking five minutes and 20 seconds in his first round match against the outclassed Price. None – even the 'Rocket' himself – have come close to eclipsing it.

113 v NEIL ROBERTSON, 2007 PREMIER LEAGUE

O'Sullivan has always entertained
O'Sullivan has always entertained (Rebecca Naden/PA)

In the unlikely surroundings of the Glades Arena in Kidderminster, O'Sullivan achieved the noteworthy mark of his 500th competitive century, as he rattled in a 113 en route to a 5-1 win over the Australian. Two more centuries swiftly followed as O'Sullivan wrapped up victory in style.

141 v ALI CARTER, 2012 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

O'Sullivan's 2012 win over Ali Carter is one of his greatest
O'Sullivan's 2012 win over Ali Carter is one of his greatest (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

As ever, O'Sullivan chose to rise to the occasion as he set a new mark for the biggest break in a Crucible final. His 141 in the first session against Ali Carter helped him establish a 10-7 advantage, which he subsequently won 18-11 to claim his fourth world crown.

103 v BARRY HAWKINS, 2013 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Barry Hawkins was beaten in the final a year later
Barry Hawkins was beaten in the final a year later (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

O'Sullivan rewrote yet another snooker record at the 2013 World Championships. His break of 103 in the 15th frame of the final against Barry Hawkins was his 128th at the Crucible, eclipsing the previous mark set by Stephen Hendry. He also became the first player to score six centuries in a single world final.

146 v BARRY PINCHES, 2016 WELSH OPEN

After potting 14 reds and 13 blacks, O'Sullivan deliberately gave up his shot at a maximum break by drifting up for the pink instead. Afterwards he called the £10,000 on offer "too cheap" for a 147. Snooker chief Barry Hearn responded furiously, calling O'Sullivan's display "unacceptable" and "disrespectful".

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Ali Carter in action against Mark Selby during the second round of The Dafabet World Snooker Championship at Crucible Theatre on April 25, 2014
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