Selby Makes Historic Maximum
Mark Selby made history with the first ever 147 break to be made in a Crucible title match, crafting a perfect run in the Cazoo World Championship final with Luca Brecel.
It’s the 14th maximum to be made at the Theatre of Dreams and comes in the 40th anniversary year of Canada’s Cliff Thorburn making the first at the hallowed Sheffield venue back in 1983. The only other 147 break to be made in the single table setup at the Crucible Theatre came when Stephen Hendry crafted one in his semi-final with Jimmy White in 1995.
The perfect run is Selby’s first in the World Championship and came in the 16th frame of his showdown with Belgium’s Brecel. It’s the second maximum of this year’s event, following Kyren Wilson’s 147 in the opening round against Ryan Day. They now stand to earn £27,500 each, splitting the £15,000 high break prize and the £40,000 maximum break bonus.
There have now been 189 official maximum breaks in snooker history and the 13th this season.
“The atmosphere when I potted that final black was electric,” said 39-year-old Selby. “It is incredible. Just to make a 147 here is hard enough. I always thought that if I got in that position I would be shaking like a leaf. It was amazing how calm I felt.”
