Chinese snooker legend Ding Junhui achieved a record maximum 147
break at the SAGA Insurance Masters on Sunday, Jan 14, 2007. It was
the first maximum seen at the Wembley Arena in 23 years and Ding
became the youngest player ever to achieve the feat.?
It was only the second maximum clearance in Masters history,
with Kirk Stevens the last player to have achieved the difficult
feat 23 years ago.
Back in 1984, Stevens made a 147 break in a 6-4 Masters
semi-final defeat against Jimmy White at the Wembley Exhibition and
Conference Center.
But aged 19 years and nine months, Junhui rewrote the record
books again to become the youngster player to have ever made a
televised maximum.
He also pocketed ￡35,000 in prize money, unless the break is
matched by another player at this year's event, which concludes
next Sunday.
He stands to win ￡10,000 for the highest break prize and ￡25,000
for the maximum break prize.
Two-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan held the record at 22
years and five months, as the youngster player to have netted a
televised 147 when he did so in the 1997 World Championship at
Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.
Three-times a ranking event winner, Shanghai's Junhui, who
practises at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, compiled two
further centuries in a comfortable 6-3 first round win over
Nottingham's Anthony Hamilton and now meets good friend Peter Ebdon
- last month's Maplin UK Championship winner - in the next round on
Tuesday night.
A delighted Ding said: "I'm feeling really special to be the
second player in Masters history to make a 147 break.
"When I got to the last red ball I was nervous and on the final
black, so I was very happy to pot that."
Looking ahead to his second round match with Ebdon, who beat him
9-5 in the UK quarter-finals, Junhui added: "I hope we will give
the audience a very good game.
"I think I have a good chance and I will be trying my best.
"I never thought about winning this tournament before because
everyone here are very professional players - and I hope now I can
play at my best to have a chance."
It was Hamilton who started the better of the two players with a
59 break to take the opening frame of the pair's best-of-11 frame
match.
But Junhui hit back with runs of 50 and 61 to level matters. He
won the next frame with a 78 break and then edged a scrappy fourth
for a 3-1 interval advantage.
Hamilton responded following the resumption with a 72 run,
before Junhui showed his class. A 105 break made it 4-2, before his
special maximum - which came in little over 14 minutes - made it
5-2 and one frame away from victory.
Hamilton, a beaten semi-finalist at last season's Welsh Open,
pocketed a 103 run to reduce his arrears.
But it only delayed the inevitable as Junhui, with a break of
108, made sure there were four centuries in consecutive frames for
a place in the next round of this year's ￡432,000 event.
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(RTE News via CRI January 15, 2007)
