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Eye-popping potting

Tony Drago made a 147 in just three minutes and 31 seconds in 1996 © Getty Images

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I remember the snooker player Tony Drago being a very quick potter. Does he hold the record for the fastest 147 break? asked Bill Endsleigh

Tony Drago, from Malta, holds the record for the fastest century break in a professional tournament, in an eye-popping three minutes 31 seconds, against John Higgins in the 1996 UK Championships. Drago also holds the records for the fastest victories in a best-of-nine-frames match (34 minutes) and best-of-17 (81 minutes).

For some years, though, Drago was on the receiving end of the fastest 147 - when Thailand's James Wattana cleared the table against him in six minutes nine seconds during the 1992 British Open.

But Wattana's record was beaten by - who else? - "Rocket Ronnie" O'Sullivan, during the 1997 world championship at the Crucible, when he zoomed to a maximum break in just five minutes 20 seconds in his first-round match, after his opponent Mick Price made a mistake: "I played one of the worst safety shots of my career," said Price. "I let Ronnie in, and five minutes later history was made."

It didn't do O'Sullivan much good that year. Although he went on to beat Price, he lost 13-12 to Darren Morgan in the next round.

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