Kyren Wilson has spoken of his pride at becoming just the ninth player in World Snooker Championship history to make a 147 at the Crucible.
The Englishman compiled the fantastic break in the fifth frame of his 10-5 defeat of Ryan Day in the first round on Wednesday.
Wilson will pocket £55,000 for the maximum effort as long as it isn’t matched in the coming week and a half – £40,000 for the 147 itself and £15,000 for the high-break prize.
The 31 year-old additionally became only the third player to record five century breaks in a first-round fixture in Sheffield.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable,” a delighted Kyren Wilson said in his post-match interview with the World Snooker Tour.
“I’m one of those people who don’t really get too carried away, I try and keep it all under wraps.”
“But I couldn’t handle it this morning and this afternoon, I was just absolutely beaming.
“It’s so nice to be a part of history in snooker, that’s something money can’t buy, so yeah amazing.
“It’s honestly one of the great achievements of my short career already, and it’s something I can look back on when I’m an old man.
“I can say I actually achieved that. Some of the names that have done it, and it’s only a short list, to join that is amazing.
“It’s awesome for (my daughters), because they are really getting into their snooker so it just sort of reignites that buzz.
147 breaks at the Crucible Theatre
1. 1983: Cliff Thorburn vs Terry Griffiths (L16)
2. 1992: Jimmy White vs Tony Drago (L32)
3. 1995: Stephen Hendry vs Jimmy White (SF)
4. 1997: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Mick Price (L32)
5. 2003: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Marco Fu (L32)
6. 2005: Mark Williams vs Robert Milkins (L32)
7. 2008: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Mark Williams (L16)
8. 2008: Ali Carter vs Peter Ebdon (QF)
9. 2009: Stephen Hendry vs Shaun Murphy (QF)
10. 2012: Stephen Hendry vs Stuart Bingham (L32)
11. 2020: John Higgins vs Kurt Maflin (L16)
12. 2022: Neil Robertson vs Jack Lisowski (L16)
13. 2023: Kyren Wilson vs Ryan Day (L32)
“It was quite a tight pack but there were two loose reds at the bottom of the pack. When I got the right angle at 16 or possibly 24, I kissed the left-hand red out of the way.
“I left a lovely angle to go through the pack. When I timed that right and spread the balls, I thought it’s on now.
“I sort of never really got into trouble until the very end…I landed really awkwardly with one red left.
“I had to play a black with loads of right-hand side and played that nicely, then a red with loads of left-hand side – two really awful shots under the pressure.
“I was actually quite calm at that point. The moment I felt it was on the blue, because I thought you’ve got it here, you can’t fail.
“I just overran the blue but played a good pink with side, then landed perfect on the black, so I was like, thank God for that.
“After the Masters I feel like I’ve been really consistent, and it’s taken an in-form Shaun Murphy to stop me.
“Who knows what I could have achieved if it wasn’t for Shaun’s special performances against me.
“It’s nice that I’ve managed to hold onto that form, it’s obviously a bit of a long way between the Tour Championship and the Crucible, so it’s nice to bring that here.”
In the last 16 of this year’s World Snooker Championship, reigning European Masters winner Wilson will take on four-time world champion John Higgins.
For the full World Snooker Championship draw, results, live scores, and session times, click here.
Featured photo credit: WST
