Ronnie O’Sullivan insists his focus remains on winning The Masters for a sixth time having equalled the all-time record for centuries in competition.
O’Sullivan rolled in two centuries in a 6-4 win over Ricky Walden, taking his career tally up to 775 and putting him level with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.
However, while enjoying the moment, The Rocket remains fully focused on trying to win a third consecutive tournament, having triumphed at the UK Championship and the Champion of Champions.
“I’ve been thinking about (the centuries record) since I got within striking distance and I’m glad I’ve equalled it, but it’s more about winning this tournament now,” he told BBC Sport.
“There’s a lot of expectation because I’ve won back-to-back tournaments. There’s a lot of pressure because the crowd in London want to see me do well.
“It’s great to have that support, but it comes with that pressure because I want to keep them happy and keep winning.”
O’Sullivan will play Marco Fu tonight in his second round match.
David Cox
David is Crunch Sport's baseball guru. He's a walking, talking almanac when it comes to stats and facts. His elementary school dreams of playing professionally were scuppered by terrible co-ordination, but luckily his writing skills kept him in touch with his beloved sport through high school and beyond.