I’ll have the money: China’s Ding makes 147 in Robertson defeat

It might not have been enough of a prize to tempt Ronnie O’Sullivan, but Ding Junhui had no qualms about making a maximum 147 break at the Wales Open on Friday.

Unfortunately for the Chinese player, his perfect clearance of 15 reds, 15 blacks and all the colours could not prevent a 5-2 quarter-final defeat by Australia’s Neil Robertson.

In a high-scoring encounter, Ding lost the first frame but levelled at 1-1 thanks to a break of 120 only for former world champion Robertson to respond with a 140-break in the third.

Come the mid-session interval, Robertson was on the brink of victory at 4-1 in front.

But Ding kept him waiting, the 2012 Welsh Open winner thrilling spectators in Cardiff with a dramatic maximum effort where he screwed off the penultimate red into the middle pocket and back onto the black before clearing all the colours.

He needed a cue extension to help him slice the pink into the bottom corner before sinking the final black for his sixth career 147.