Masters 2024: Ding Junhui makes 147 maximum break in defeat by Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ding Junhui made sublime 147 maximum break against Ronnie O’Sullivan but fell to a 6-3 defeat in the Masters first round at Alexandra Palace.

Ding’s effort was his second 147 at the prestigious event and the fourth ever.

Kirk Stevens in 1984 and Marco Fu in 2015 have also achieved the feat in this Triple Crown event.

It helped Ding come from 4-0 down to trail 4-3 before O’Sullivan pulled clear again to reach his 25th Masters quarter-final.

“I had a lot of chances at the start but I just made twenties and thirties and just messed up,” said Ding on BBC Two. “I didn’t think I would play that well when we came back so to make a maximum is amazing.

“For a long time I have not been feeling like that so I am happy enough. I saw the balls open and thought I could try a maximum because Ronnie was playing so well.”

Also speaking on BBC Two, O’Sullivan added: “Unbelievable 147 from Ding – I knew he’d make it from about the second or third red. What a magnificent player. He is a delight to watch.”

Ding, who made his first Masters 147 as a teenager in 2007, received a standing ovation from the packed auditorium for what was his seventh career maximum.

And it also briefly threatened to deliver a thrilling finale to a match that had been notably one-sided until the mid-session interval.

While December’s meeting between the pair in the UK Championship final was a hard-fought affair which O’Sullivan also won, the first four frames of this contest had the feel of an exhibition, with O’Sullivan averaging just over 15 seconds a shot.

The seven-time world champion and current world number one appeared at ease as he began his quest for a record-extending eighth title at a venue regarded as home soil for him.

However, he was also helped considerably by errors from Ding, who had opportunities in each of the first three frames.

A relatively straightforward positional shot to get on the black went wrong in the opening frame with the balls well placed, and it was a precursor of what was to follow over the next three.

O’Sullivan, who also had the better of the few tactical exchanges, ruthlessly exploited every mistake by his opponent and showed he is in fine scoring touch, making breaks of 67, 87 and 106 to race ahead and then knocking in a 127 and a 93 to seal his victory, despite runs by Ding of 61, 92 and his 147.

O’Sullivan will next face Neil Robertson or Barry Hawkins in the quarter-finals on Thursday.