Thepchaiyu Un-Nooh compiled a maximum break on another hectic day of action in the English Open at the K2 in Crawley on Tuesday.
The Thai scored the perfect frame, which as only the third 147 of the season is set to win him a nice £15,000 jackpot, in his 4-1 victory over Soheil Vahedi.
It was the second maximum break in the career of Un-Nooh, who famously twice missed the final black when attempting to complete his maiden 147 in 2015 and again less than a year later.
Four-time world champion John Higgins was among a host of star players to advance to the second round, the Scot managing a 4-1 triumph over Li Yuan.
Judd Trump, Mark Allen, and Barry Hawkins all enjoyed safe passages through as well as the first round reached its conclusion on day two in the first Home Nations series event of the campaign.
The biggest upset saw Paul Hunter Classic and Six Red World Championship winner Kyren Wilson stumble in a 4-3 defeat to another Thai, Akani Songsermsawad.
There were wins elsewhere, however, for former world champion Stuart Bingham, three-time ranking event winner Ricky Walden, and recent European Masters champion Jimmy Robertson.
Stephen Maguire, the UK champion from 14 years ago, had to fight back from behind to deny amateur James Cahill in a decider while the in-form Jack Lisowski held off Fergal O’Brien by recording a 4-2 scoreline over the dogged Dubliner.
All-time legend Jimmy White, who incidentally won only his second match of the 2018/19 term last week against O’Brien in the International Championship qualifiers, continued his mini run of form with a 4-2 victory of his own against talented young potter Lyu Haotian.
It was a mixed day in general for a lot of the Chinese contingent, none more so than for Xiao Guodong who exited at the hands of Steven Hallworth – one of two amateurs who managed to upset the odds and defeat a professional player in the last 128.
Luca Brecel wasted no time at all in hammering Niu Zhuang 4-0, Robert Milkins beat Lu Ning, and Matthew Selt edged Zhang Anda in a nail-biter.
But there was some joy for China’s large crop of competitors with Zhou Yuelong, Mei Xiwen, Xu Si, Yuan Sijun, and Zhang Jiankang enjoying victories.
Among some of the others to start promisingly were Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher and Lukas Kleckers of Germany.
Live coverage continues on Eurosport.
Click here to view the draw (Times: CET)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxsxMSSfmjM
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