Mark Allen pulled off an incredible turnaround during his second-round match against Chris Wakelin at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, completing a perfect 147 break at the Crucible for the first time in his career.
Things didn’t start well for the Co Antrim star during the second session. Coming into the day with a 6-2 lead, Wakelin dominated the opening frames and pushed his advantage to 10-2. Allen couldn’t even pot a single ball in those three frames, and it looked like his hopes were fading fast. But after the mid-session break, Allen came out swinging—and made snooker history. In the very next frame, he went for a long black early, and after some lucky positioning on the yellow, managed to complete a flawless 147. It was the 15th time a maximum break has ever been recorded at the World Championship.
As soon as the final black ball dropped, Allen pumped his fist in celebration while Wakelin showed good sportsmanship, walking over to congratulate him. Even though Wakelin still holds a strong lead and could potentially clinch a quarter-final spot with a session to spare, the moment clearly belonged to Allen.
Wakelin’s Hot Streak and Unbelievable Shots
Before Allen’s stunning comeback moment, Wakelin had been on fire. He started the day by capitalizing on an early miss from Allen—who surprisingly failed to pot a straightforward yellow—and went up 7-2. From there, Wakelin played near-perfect snooker, shutting Allen out for three straight frames.
Wakelin’s play was so sharp that even the commentators were in awe. In the 12th frame, he nailed a yellow into the middle pocket that left snooker legend Stephen Hendry amazed. Hendry, commentating for the BBC, called it “one of the best shots I’ve ever seen.” Fellow snooker great and co-commentator Steve Davis also chimed in, saying Wakelin’s level was “astonishing” and that the shot deserved a spot among the top 10 Crucible moments of all time.
Despite the scoreline, Allen’s 147 is a massive highlight in this matchup—an unforgettable reminder that even when things look bleak, magic can still happen on the snooker table.
