'An artist' – Did Ronnie O'Sullivan make the greatest break in World Championship history at the Crucible?

Ronnie O'Sullivan marked the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic breaks in World Snooker Championship history with a special one of his own. O'Sullivan will face Judd Trump in the eighth Crucible final of his gilded 30-year career on Sunday and Monday courtesy of a dominant 17-11 win over four-time world champion John Higgins in the semi-finals on Saturday evening.

Ad/> «He was absolutely lethal among the balls,» Higgins told Eurosport. «I don't think he actually missed when he was on breaks.

/> World Championship‘There it is!’ – Watch the moment O’Sullivan sealed place in world final9 HOURS AGO »He maybe broke down when he didn't get a split on the pack a few times, but he was absolutely lethal." The world no. 1 compiled glorious breaks of 134, 121, 116, 107, 101, 99, 91, 83, 73, 70, 70, 67, 55, 55, 54 and 54 to maintain his quest for a record-equalling seventh world title in Sheffield, but the finest run of the semi-final was the 82 constructed in the 18th frame on Saturday morning.

With O'Sullivan only 10-7 clear and trailing 32-22 in a taut tactical juncture of the contest, the six-time champion was faced with the prospect of a tricky long red and eight of the reds apparently out of commission, bunched at the right hand side at the top end of the table. He embarked upon a quite remarkable sequence of pots in clearing up to the black with an astonishing run that had to be seen to be believed in restoring his four-frame advantage from a frame lasting over 35 minutes and mired in safety play.

«There's very few people born on the planet who could do what he's just done there,» said the 1991 world champion John Parrott on the BBC. «Come and have a look at this table, put this up in your club and see how many points