Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed he decided against a 147 break at the Xi’an Grand Prix because of the prize money.
‘The Rocket’ got his campaign underway in China with a thumping 5-0 win over the Ukrainian Iulian Boiko on Tuesday.
GettyO’Sullivan is back in action after nearly two months out from competitive action[/caption]
What did O’Sullivan do?
In his first competitive match since defeat in the Saudi Arabia Masters final in August, O’Sullivan made an impressive return with two centuries in the one-sided encounter.
But it could have been an even more dominant display, had he taken his chance at a maximum break.
The seven-time world champion had the opportunity to join snooker‘s incredible 147 gold rush, which saw world No. 1 Judd Trump and Aaron Hill both record the impressive feat in the opening round.
O’Sullivan’s shot at this came after slotting five reds and five blacks in the first frame, where he was left with an obvious pot on a red which would have seen him land perfectly on the black
But instead of this, he surprisingly opted to go for another red to left middle to continue a break which concluded on 107.
This sparked confusion among the commentary team, with former Masters champion Alan McManus trying to make sense of it.
Reacting to O’Sullivan’s play on TNT Sports, he said: “You would think red to right corner would be the one.
“He would play it with his opposite hand, so maybe he just doesn’t fancy bridging with it.
“So that puts paid to another maximum for now.”
‘I won’t take the risk unless I think it’s worth it’
O’Sullivan later shared his thinking behind the move, as he reiterated his previous stance on targeting maximum breaks.
GettyTrump boasts nine career 147s, with the latest coming at the Xi’An Grand Prix[/caption]
The 49-year-old has maintained a consistent stance on the subject over the years, insisting his preference is to win frames rather than go for a 147 if he does not feel the financial rewards are worth it.
O’Sullivan famously made two 147s in the same match during his victory over Chris Wakelin at the the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in August.
These were his first maximums since 2018, and the remarkable feat earned him a huge £180,333 bonus – £147,000 and a double share of the £50,000 high break prize alongside Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
But with only £5,000 on offer for putting together a record-together 18th maximum of his career at the Xi’An Grand Prix, O’Sullivan felt the rewards did not outweigh the risks this time.
Explaining the move after beating Boiko, he said: “The reason why I got mine [in Saudi Arabia} was because there was maybe £180,000 up for grabs.
“The prize was good, it sharpened my mind.
“I’m not sure what the prize fund is for this tournament, but usually it’s quite low compared to that, so obviously I won’t take the risk unless I think it’s worth it.”
There has been no shortage of 147 breaks in snooker recently, with a staggering total of 13 maximums already being recorded this season.
The latest two took place on Tuesday, with Trump and Hill recording the impressive feat in their respective victories over Ng On Yee and Huang Jiahao.
When asked why there have been so many lately, O’Sullivan said: ”I just think the standard is very, very high.
“Many, many players can make big breaks these days.”
And after a commanding opening victory over Boiko, O’Sullivan has since followed this up with a 5-1 over Yao Pencheng in the second round to set up a last-32 meeting with Scotland‘s Stephen Maguire.
