Ding Junhui creates snooker history with incredible 147 break against Ronnie O'Sullivan at The Masters

Ding Junhui hit a maximum 147 break in his first round match against Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Masters - creating a piece of snooker history in the process.

The Chinese snooker icon had earlier fallen to a 4-0 deficit in a best of 11 match, despite having chances to win several frames.

But he fought back to make it 4-2, and found himself with an excellent opportunity of a maximum break in the third frame.

He potted a tricky yellow when it got down to the colours, and kept his composure brilliantly as the crowd cheered him on.

After the final black went in, the emotion poured out of China's first world snooker superstar, who has been consistently in the top 16 for much of the past 20 years since emerging on the scene.

He was congratulated by O'Sullivan, one of his closest friends on the tour, and was visibly emotional as his achievement sunk in.

You can watch the end of the break before - and Ding's reaction.

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Ding Junhui makes his second maximum break at the Masters. 👏 #MastersSnooker pic.twitter.com/rSom03XHuN

— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) January 8, 2024

Ding hit his second maximum break at the Masters - the only player ever to achieve such a feat. Kirk Stevens was the first player to do it in 1984, while Marco Fu did it in 2015. Ding's other maximum was in 2007 - his fourth season on the tour.

Unfortunately for the 36-year-old, though, he had to watch from his seat as O'Sullivan racked up two consecutive frames to win the match 6-3 and progressed to the quarter finals of the Masters.

Speaking after the match, O'Sullivan told BBC's Rob Walker: "Unbelievable 147 from Ding - I knew he was going to make it from the second or third red. His positional play is so good.

"He wasn't out of position once. What a great break, what a great player, and I was just pleased to get over the line in the end."

It was the first time both players had faced off in a ranking event since the UK Championship final in December, which O'Sullivan won 10-7.

'The Rocket' will now take on the winner of the last 16 clash between Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins in the next round.