Ronnie O'Sullivan pockets £147,000 payday after recording first 147 break in SEVEN YEARS… with two in same match
The Rocket, 49, hit two maximums in his semi-final clash with Chris Wakelin in the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Jeddah.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan remarkably compiled two 147 breaks in one match
Credit: Getty
This was just the second time it had ever happened in a professional capacity – Welshman Jackson Page produced the feat for the first time in history during World Championship qualifying in Sheffield in April.
O'Sullivan, using a new cue this season after smashing up his original one in January in a spot of rage, cleared up all the balls in frame one to woo the few fans in the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City.
It was the 16th of his career and first since the 2018 English Open in Brentwood against Allan Taylor.
In the next frame, the former world No.1 hit a 142 break to move 2-0 ahead.
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And then in frame seven, about an hour or so later, the seven-time world champion hit the 17th 147 of his stellar career.
It was the 222nd seen in professional snooker, the fifth of the 2025-26 season, and he is the oldest person in the sport to have savoured a 147 break.
Even for someone who has broken so many records throughout his life, this was a very special moment indeed.
And remarkable to think that four months out from his 50th birthday, he is still able to produce feats of sheer brilliance.
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O'Sullivan beat Chris Wakelin 6-3 to reach the final
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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The World Snooker Tour will now pay out a bonus of £147,000 which had been on the table for anyone able to hit two 147s in one of four major tournaments – the Saudi Masters, UK Championship, Masters and World Championship – across the 2025-26 season.
O'Sullivan sealed the 6-3 win over Wakelin with a 134 score and has earned a minimum of £200,000 for making the final.
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Wakelin, 33, sportingly fist-bumped O'Sullivan and was all smiles and so was referee Tatiana Woollaston as the crowd erupted.
O'Sullivan will play Australian cueist Neil Robertson – who beat Elliot Slessor 6-3 in the other semi-final – in Saturday's final over the best of 19 frames with £500,000 on the line for the winner.
O'Sullivan – who separately receives two-thirds of a £50,000 high-break prize, with the other third going to fellow Maximum Man Thepchaiya Un-Nooh – said: 'It's probably the maddest game I have ever played in.
'Maddest game. I played one against Stephen Hendry in Torquay which wasn't televised. I beat the highest break three times in the final.
'You have to enjoy it. At 3-3, I'm thinking: 'I'm probably going to lose this game.' I have had a maxi, a 142 clearance and he's a monster. He's so solid. He's a superb competitor.
'I'd like to say thank you to Saudi, for what they have done in sport, bringing snooker here. A massive thanks to those guys. The crowd, the venue is great. The players would all say this is their favourite tournament.
'It's such a great event. Great good. Hospitality. It's superb. As a player you want to stay in the tournament a bit longer and just milk it as much as you can.
Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters Prize Money
Here's a breakdown of how much money is on offer during the Saudi tournament... Winner: £500,000
£500,000 Runner-up: £200,000
£200,000 Semi-final: £100,000
£100,000 Quarter-final: £50,000
£50,000 Last 16: £30,000
£30,000 Last 32: £20,000
£20,000 Last 48: £11,000
£11,000 Last 80: £7,000
£7,000 Last 112: £4,000
£4,000 Last 144: £2,000
£2,000 147 break: £50,000
£50,000 Total: £2,302,000
'I heard it was £50,000 for a 147. I thought: 'Ah, that's worth going for.' Then I'm thinking, all of a sudden, if I get another one…
'I would have had plenty more. I was stuck on 15. Now I've gone up to 17. I could have been in my mid-20s if World Snooker had not been so stingy (with prize money).'
O'Sullivan added: 'It's great. I like playing good snooker. It's nice when you feel in control. I'm over the moon to find the right cue. I think I will sleep alright now. It has been a good day.
'It's hard for me to say, where do I go from there? I have to regroup and reboot, it's a different match. Neil is a phenomenal player.
'The person who doubted me, I better send him a few quid. Get him a little holiday. Can you get his name? Get the comments off YouTube. I will have to send him an email.'
David Hendon, the respected discovery+ commentator, said: 'To make a second maximum in this semi-final. Just when you think there's nothing left for him to do in the sport.
'We waited seven years between his 15th and 16th. We wondered what was going to happen to Ronnie O'Sullivan after he smashed his cue up last season.
'He has a new one – and this is the result. This is flair, this is aura, this is genius. Ronnie for the second maximum tonight.
'The crowd can barely believe what they have seen. There is still time maybe for him to make another one. Extraordinary.'
One wag in the crowd shouted 'go for the hat-trick' but even for someone as brilliant as O'Sullivan that was going to be a tall order.
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