The pursuit of perfection has tormented Ronnie O’Sullivan throughout his career, but the sport’s most naturally talented player has now experienced break-building nirvana more often than any other player after electrifying the Crucible, in Sheffield, with a dazzling 147 yesterday.

O’Sullivan completed his 13-7 win over Mark Williams with his ninth maximum break in professional competition, one more than Stephen Hendry. Seven 147s have been constructed in the sport’s highest profile event and O’Sullivan has been responsible for three of them.

The financial bonus for his 36 strokes of genius — 15 reds, 15 blacks and the six colours — is £157,000, unless someone equals his 147 feat. That, added to windfalls he received for maximums against Mick Price in 1997 and Marco Fu in 2003, could swell his prize-money from Crucible 147s to £491,000.

It was O’Sullivan’s third maximum in five months after those against Ali Carter in the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Trophy and Mark Selby in the deciding frame of his 9-8 win in the semi-finals of the UK Championship.

“All over the world I get great support because I guarantee excitement. I might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think I give value for money,” O’Sullivan, who has won £466,850 in prize-money this season, said.

His next opponent will be Liang Wenbo, who became the first Chinese player to reach a Crucible quarter- final by staving off a spirited fightback from Joe Swail to win 13-12.

Trailing 12-8, Swail compiled century breaks in consecutive frames and stole the 23rd on the black after requiring a snooker, but, on the verge of a great escape, he missed a straightforward brown in the decider.

Stephen Maguire, duelling with O’Sullivan to be the world No 1 next season, beat Neil Robertson 13-7 and plays Joe Perry, who scored a 13-9 win over Stuart Bingham.

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