Ronnie O'Sullivan claimed one of snooker's great records on Thursday as he began his Masters quarter-final against Marco Fu.

The 39-year-old fired in his 776th career century, taking him one beyond Stephen Hendry's haul which he had matched with a pair of tons during his Alexandra Palace opener against Ricky Walden on Tuesday.

Hendry, commentating for the BBC, gave his approval and O’Sullivan was roundly cheered by the London crowd, who rose to their feet when the break ended on 101.

“It hasn’t been in doubt from very early on,” Hendry said. “Every shot has been cued to perfection.”

O’Sullivan reached the record-breaking century by potting the brown but lost position on the final red. That did not matter and the five-time Masters champion raised his hand in celebration, waving his cue to the crowd who rose to their feet in celebration of the record. Fu took the next frame to level the best-of-11 match at 1-1 in its early stages.