How Chris Wakelin missed out on snooker history despite win over Zhou Yuelong at Scottish Open - ‘The biggest disappointment for me’

Chris Wakelin has enjoyed a return to form in Edinburgh this week, and beat Zhou Yuelong on Friday to book his place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Open. The win was a welcome one for Wakelin, but he was left to rue a moment when a shot at history went begging at the Meadowbank Centre. Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Masters, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

‘Felt like I played well’ - Wakelin reflects on win over Zhou

Video credit: TNT Sports

Chris Wakelin was left to reflect on what might have been after letting "snooker history" slip through his fingers in his win over Zhou Yuelong at the Scottish Open.

Securing victory and a spot in the semi-finals was the first prize for Wakelin, but during the match he had a shot at something special.

After a foul from Zhou left Wakelin with a free ball, he potted a brown as the extra red and it set him on the way for a chance at the highest break in snooker history.

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That accolade belongs to Jamie Burnett, who made 148 in qualifying for the UK Championship in 2004.

Wakelin had made his way to 80, having navigated a couple of tough pots, and was in the hunt for a 153. But he was forced to leave the table with a rueful look on his face after seeing a red to right middle remain on the table, after which TNT Sports commentator Phil Studd said "snooker history" had slipped through his fingers.

Reflecting on the moment in his post-match interview with TNT Sports, Wakelin said: "The biggest disappointment for me was not making a 150+ break.

"That was a magic feeling, so to miss that red in the middle - I was gutted."

Free balls, which are awarded when a player cannot see both sides of an object ball after a foul, are unusual at the start of a frame due to the amount of reds on the table.

And Wakelin admitted those chances come along extremely rarely.

"They come around maybe once or twice in your whole career," Wakelin said. "So to get that close to it was hard."

'Got the sequence wrong' - Wakelin jokingly pots black before pink after making century against Zhou

Video credit: TNT Sports

Asked by Alan McManus for his thought process as the break developed, Wakelin said: "I tried to just eradicate it from my mind.

"To win the frame and go 4-1 in front is so much more important than making a really big break, that is how I’ve always approached the game, but a lot of players go for maximums when the chance arrives."

But the carrot of a shot at history kept Wakelin on his toes, as he added: "As soon as I got on the black I thought, ‘they are here, they are all on’.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, right?"

The run to the semi-finals in Edinburgh is a welcome return to form for Wakelin, who has been dealing with personal issues.

"It has been a tough few weeks for me and my family," Wakelin said. "Thankfully, now I think we are on the other side of the issues we have had going on, but I turned up here with absolutely no expectations as I had not been able to practice for maybe two days before coming up.

"I wanted to come up to Scotland, I have had some good memories over the years, so to find myself in the semi-finals, I don’t think any of my friends and family can quite believe it."

Reflecting on his 2025, Wakelin said: "It has been a strange year. I got to the quarters of the Worlds and the semis in Saudi, and other than that I have not done anything.

"Realistically, it has not been a great year, so if I could end on a high it would really turn things around."

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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Masters, live on TNT Sports and discovery+

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