Judd Trump and Aaron Hill both fired in 147 breaks as the 2025 Xi’an Grand Prix commenced with a bang on Tuesday.
World number one Trump compiled his first maximum break in three years with a perfect knock against Ng On Yee, taking his career tally up to nine.
Just a few hours later, Hill was getting in on the act again and produced his second moment of magic of the season during a 5-2 defeat of Huang Jiahao.
The young Irishman had only recently made his maiden 147 break at the English Open, but his latest continues the trend of an incredible rate generally this term.
Indeed, Trump and Hill’s 147s take the total number constructed during the 2025/26 snooker season to 13. (click here for the full 147 list)
As it’s only the start of October and with several tournaments to come on the calendar, the single campaign record of 15 that was set last season is set to be smashed.
“It’s a great feeling,” Aaron Hill, who has been in good form recently and reached the quarter-finals of the English Open, told the World Snooker Tour.
“They are like a habit in practice to be honest. When you make one, you normally make another one that week or the week after.”
“Then they might go missing for a while. It’s a great feeling to get my second max on the tour in such a short space of time – I’m delighted.
“I felt like I mapped it out well throughout the break. The cue ball was under good control apart from just one or two.
“You’re just trying to always give yourself a shot, and the last red down the rail, I just said to play it positive and make sure to get the right angle on the black. I did that and thankfully it dropped.
“I don’t know, it’s crazy. We’ll probably beat [the record] this month the way it’s going. But nothing’s changed.
“It’s just that the standard of players is so good these days. People are saying the pockets are bigger and all that – that’s nonsense.
“It’s just that the players are so good. The chances are breaking well for them when the balls are open and there for a max. Long may it last, it’s great to see.”
Earlier in the day, Trump had made his 147 break to join Stuart Bingham in joint-fifth on the all-time list with nine maximums.
“A lot of other people have been making 147s and making it look easy, so I feel it was about time I made one,” Trump told WST.
“It was special to make one in China. The atmosphere was very good out there.”
“It’s a little bit surprising everyone has been making them. I think the standard of play has just improved. Everybody seems to want to make maximums now.
“I think it’s the new normal. Players are more relaxed, I think the mentality’s different. Players are less inclined to pick the balls off and win the frame.
“From the first ball, you’re just going for a 147. The more you keep seeing people do it, the more you feel a bit left out and go for it yourself.”
Trump was among several marquee names who were contesting their held over fixtures from the round of 128 on the opening day of the venue stages in Xi’an.
All of the heavy hitters managed to safely reach the next round with the likes of Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, and Ding Junhui progressing as well.
Hill, meanwhile, had already come through a qualifying phase last month in Leicester so his victory over Huang saw him reach the last 32.
Joining him at that stage already were Stephen Maguire, Stuart Bingham, Jak Jones, and Zhou Yuelong.
Wilson and Mark Williams also received byes through to the last 32 after respective opponents Marco Fu and Scott Donaldson pulled out of the competition.
Another busy schedule on Wednesday will see the full lineup for the round of 32 confirmed.
2025 Xi’an Grand Prix draw
Round of 128 (bo9)
Kyren Wilson 5-1 Haris Tahir
Marco Fu 5-1 Sanderson Lam
Yuan Sijun 5-1 Mahmoud El Hareedy
Jamie Jones 5-1 Connor Benzey
Shaun Murphy 5-0 Liam Highfield
Long Zehuang 5-1 Artemijs Zizins
Wu Yize 5-4 Florian Nuessle
Xu Si 5-1 Bulcsu Revesz
Ricky Walden 5-1 Liam Davies
Elliot Slessor 5-1 Liam Graham
Oliver Lines 5-1 Gao Yang
Mark Allen 5-4 Mitchell Mann
Jackson Page 5-3 Sahil Nayyar
Louis Heathcote 5-3 Lei Peifan
Jordan Brown 5-1 Oliver Brown
Ding Junhui 5-1 Sam Craigie
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5-0 Iulian Boiko
Yao Pengcheng 5-1 Zak Surety
Stephen Maguire 5-2 Bai Yulu
Robbie Williams 5-1 Fergal Quinn
Farakh Ajaib 5-4 Zhang Anda
David Lilley 5-3 Kreishh Gurbaxani
Jak Jones 5-0 Haydon Pinhey
Dylan Emery 5-3 Ben Woollaston
Sunny Akani 5-0 Luca Brecel
Gary Wilson 5-0 Zhang Xiao
Mateusz Baranowski 5-4 Liu Hongyu
Chris Wakelin 3-5 Zhang Hao
He Guoqiang 5-1 Zhao Hanyang
Xu Yichen 5-4 Jack Lisowski
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 5-0 Jonas Luz
Neil Robertson 5-1 Leone Crowley
Judd Trump 5-2 Ng On Yee
Matthew Stevens 5-0 Ian Burns
Wang Yuchen 5-3 Pang Junxu
Lyu Haotian 5-2 Steven Hallworth
Ali Carter 5-1 Allan Taylor
Stan Moody 5-4 Amir Sarkhosh
Stuart Bingham 5-2 Duane Jones
Matthew Selt 5-4 Antoni Kowalski
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-1 Patrick Whelan
Jiang Jun 5-0 Hossein Vafaei
David Grace 5-4 Anthony McGill
Barry Hawkins 5-0 Hatem Yassen
Ryan Day 5-4 Ross Muir
Zhou Yuelong 5-2 Julien Leclercq
Scott Donaldson 5-1 Robbie McGuigan
Mark Williams 5-2 Zhou Jinhao
Liam Pullen 5-3 John Higgins
Michael Holt 5-1 Umut Dikme
Noppon Saengkham 5-2 Alexander Ursenbacher
Michal Szubarczyk 5-4 Martin O’Donnell
Mark Selby 5-0 Gong Chenzhi
Mark Davis 5-1 Reanne Evans
Huang Jiahao 5-3 Tom Ford
Aaron Hill 5-2 Liu Wenwei
Daniel Wells 5-1 Ken Doherty
David Gilbert 5-1 Chris Totten
Fan Zhengyi 5-1 Ben Mertens
Si Jiahui 5-3 Chang Bingyu
Jimmy Robertson 5-2 Cheung Ka Wai
Joe O’Connor 5-2 Lan Yuhao
Robert Milkins 5-1 Mink Nutcharut
Zhao Xintong 5-2 Wang Xinbo
Round of 64 (bo9)
Kyren Wilson w/o Marco Fu
Yuan Sijun w/o Jamie Jones
Shaun Murphy vs Long Zehuang
Wu Yize vs Xu Si
Ricky Walden 3-5 Elliot Slessor
Oliver Lines vs Mark Allen
Jackson Page 0-5 Louis Heathcote
Jordan Brown vs Ding Junhui
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Yao Pengcheng
Stephen Maguire 5-2 Robbie Williams
Farakh Ajaib 1-5 David Lilley
Jak Jones 5-1 Dylan Emery
Sunny Akani vs Gary Wilson
Mateursz Baranowski vs Zhang Hao
He Guoqiang 5-3 Xu Yichen
Ishpreet Singh Chadha vs Neil Robertson
Judd Trump vs Matthew Stevens
Wang Yuchen 4-5 Lyu Haotian
Ali Carter vs Stan Moody
Stuart Bingham 5-3 Matthew Selt
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-3 Jiang Jun
David Grace vs Barry Hawkins
Ryan Day 2-5 Zhou Yuelong
Mark Williams w/o Scott Donaldson
Liam Pullen 5-3 Michael Holt
Noppon Saengkham 5-1 Michal Szubarczyk
Mark Selby vs Mark Davis
Huang Jiahao 2-5 Aaron Hill
Daniel Wells vs David Gilbert
Fan Zhengyi vs Si Jiahui
Jimmy Robertson vs Joe O’Connor
Robert Milkins vs Zhao Xintong
Click here for the updated draw and results (snooker.org)
