Joe O’Connor reached the Championship League Winners’ Group after emerging from Group 7 on Thursday in Leicester.
O’Connor was third after the round-robin phase, where he compiled a 147 break in his last league fixture against Elliot Slessor.
It represented the 200th competitive maximum break in the history of the sport professionally.
Much like the landmark 147th maximum that was made by David Gilbert in the 2019 Championship League, the feat was unfortunately recorded behind closed doors.
Fans are not in attendance at the Morningside Arena for the Championship League.
However, it was still a memorable accomplishment for O’Connor – particularly as it’s the first 147 he’s recorded on the World Snooker Tour.
The Englishman again faced Elliot Slessor in the semi-finals, beating his countryman 3-1.
In the Group 7 final, the 28 year-old then whitewashed Jak Jones, who had previously been undefeated in the two-day event.
O’Connor advances to the Championship League Winners’ Group, which will take place on March 12th and 13th in his home city of Leicester.
He joins the other six group winners – John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, Stuart Bingham, and Chris Wakelin.
The overall champion will earn an invitation to compete in the prestigious Champion of Champions invitational next season.
World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan had been participating in Group 7 but withdrew after the first day, citing a recurrence of an old foot injury.
Featured photo credit: WST
Well done and a noteworthy landmark for the sport!
I think that once a player has made an initial red and got established with their hand on the table in the black spot zone of the table that a 147 break is now a definite % bet with any top pro player, and the chances of it being made are dependant on how the reds split with the concern being to keep the black spot open and not having any reds ‘cushioned’ above the line of the blue spot.
The level of break building that the in form top professionals have now is so staggering.