Ronnie O'Sullivan (left) turns 50 on Friday in the same year Mark Williams (centre) and John Higgins (right) also celebrated their 50th birthdays
When a 14-year-old Ronnie O'Sullivan was asked by a TV reporter in 1990 what he admired about his snooker hero Steve Davis, he replied "he invents shots … not many players can do that".
It was an early insight into O'Sullivan's approach. His motivation is not just to win, but to set new standards in his sport.
Now, 35 years on, he has eclipsed the achievements of the players he looked up to and during this week's UK Championship - a tournament where he holds the record for both the oldest and youngest winner - O'Sullivan will celebrate his 50th birthday.
At an elite level, for a sport to have just one player that age would be remarkable enough, but O'Sullivan's half-century will mean three of the top six players in the world rankings will have entered their sixth decade.
