‘Unbelievable! Ridiculous!’ – Murphy hits first 147 in Snooker Shoot Out

Shaun Murphy hit the first maximum break in the history of the quick-fire Snooker Shoot Out

Shaun Murphy became the first player to hit a 147 in the quick-fire Snooker Shoot Out as he saw off Hungarian 16-year-old Bulcsu Revesz in Swansea.

Murphy – who won the World Championship in 2005 and has finished runner-up at that flagship event a further three times – topped the previous best Shoot Out break of 142, which was struck by Mark Allen.

Matches in the Shoot Out are contested over one frame with a duration of 10 minutes and Murphy completed his maximum with two minutes and 26 seconds remaining.

The 41-year-old pounced on an error from Revesz in their first-round match and was not distracted when someone from the crowd shouted “don’t bottle it now” as he prepared to take on his final blue.

‘I was trying for the 147 from the very first shot’

Speaking to Eurosport after his victory, Murphy said: “On the [final] blue a fella shouted out ‘don’t bottle it’. Goodness me, my heart’s going. It was great fun.

“I love the event and can’t believe what’s just happened. It was a real buzz. You get excited out there playing this event, win or lose.

“I’ve done both, played really nicely and really badly, but for the fans here, they’ve seen something special, it was a pleasure to play for them.

Murphy added later to the official World Snooker Tour channel: “I was trying to make the 147 from the very first pot.

“It was one of the best I have ever made. I am absolutely buzzing. Every ball I hit went in the middle of the pocket. I am gobsmacked.”

‘One of the best things I have seen in snooker’

Murphy’s fellow snooker players reacted on social media platform X with Allen writing: “Honestly one of the best things I’ve ever seen in snooker. Simply ridiculous.”

David Grace also called Murphy’s 147 “ridiculous” while Sean O’Sullivan described it as “unbelievable”.