Why did Zhao Xintong earn only £166 for first 147 maximum break of career at snooker's Championship League?

Zhao Xintong celebrated the first 147 maximum break of his career at the Championship League on Thursday, but the feat was greater than the financial reward for the world champion. With a high break prize of only £500 for each section at the low-key invitation event in Leicester, Zhao shares the money with compatriots Wu Yize and Xiao Guodong, who also produced maximums in Group 6 a day earlier.

Watch in FULL as Zhao makes 'rare, spellbinding' 146

Video credit: TNT Sports

Zhao Xintong went one better than his 146 at last month's Scottish Open in Edinburgh by producing the first competitive 147 of his career at the Championship League in Leicester.

The world champion celebrated the perfect clearance in the first frame of a 3-0 win over 2024 Crucible finalist Jak Jones in the semi-finals of Group 6 at the invitational event on Thursday.

Having reached 120, the player dubbed 'The Cyclone' produced a brilliant pot on a yellow at pace along the baulk cushion before mopping up the rest of the colours in a breathtaking knock lasting just over seven minutes.

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It came only a day after Wu Yize and Xiao Guodong also made 147s at the low-key competition, with all three men having to split a modest high break prize of £500 three ways.

In contrast, Ronnie O'Sullivan picked up a whopping £180,333 in August for producing the first double maximums, including two-thirds of the £50,000 highest break reward, in the same session of a match at the Saudi Arabia Masters.

But the top prize on offer at the Championship League left Zhao earning only £166.66 for his majestic effort.

Where and when players produce a maximum break matters greatly these days in terms of financial incentives, such is the regularity of them on a main professional circuit that has witnessed 238 in total since 1982.

Any player making two this season at the World Championship, Saudi Arabia Masters, UK Championship or Masters will earn a £147,000 bonus.

Jackson Page was the first to benefit when he collected £162,000 for rolling in two 147s in World Championship qualifying last season, which included a two-thirds share of the £15,000 top prize with Mark Allen after the Northern Irishman compiled a maximum at the Crucible.

For his efforts, Allen earned £45,000 for thrilling Sheffield with the 15th 147 in Crucible history.

The sport is already in the midst of a record splurge of 147s, with Zhao's break the 21st so far this season - six more than the record total from last season.

Five have already been pocketed in January with Zhao joining Wu, Chris Wakelin and Matthew Selt in celebrating their maiden maximums in the sport.

Allen survives big scare to make 147 maximum – and celebrates before final ball goes in

Video credit: TNT Sports

Zhao begins his quest for a second German Masters title in Berlin against Jiang Jun on Tuesday afternoon at 14:00 UK, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Meanwhile, Wu Yize became the sixth player to qualify for the seven-man Championship League winners' group on February 10 and 11 after defeating Zhao 3-1 in the Group 6 final.

The recent International Championship winner - who dumped Zhang Anda 3-0 in their semi-final - finished with breaks of 127 and an 80 that saw him break down on course for another maximum.

Group 7 begins on Friday with Jones and Zhang returning alongside Jack Lisowski, Ryan Day, Lei Peifan, Jimmy Robertson and Xu Si.

Championship League group winners

Group 1: Tom Ford (Eng)
Group 2: Elliot Slessor (Eng)
Group 3: Si Jiahui (Chn)
Group 4: Matthew Selt (Eng)
Group 5: Mark Selby (Eng)
Group 6: Wu Yize (Chn)

Snooker's record maximum men in 2025/26

21. January 23, 2006, Zhao Xintong v Jak Jones (Championship League)
20. January 22, 2026, Wu Yize v Oliver Lines (Championship League)
19. January 22, 2026, Xiao Guodong v Oliver Lines (Championship League)
18. January 8, 2026, Matthew Selt v Xiao Guodong (Championship League)
17. January 2, 2026, Chris Wakelin v Pang Junxu (Championship League)
16. November 24, 2025 Chang Bingyu v Stephen Maguire (UK Championship)
15. November 22, 2025 Liam Pullen v Kaylan Patel (UK Championship)
14. November 4, 2025 Zak Surety v Aaron Hill (International Championship)
13. October 7, 2025: Aaron Hill v Huang Jiahao (Xi'an Grand Prix)
12. October 7, 2025: Judd Trump v Ng On Yee (Xi'an Grand Prix)
11. October 2, 2025 Gary Wilson v Artemijs Zizins (International Championship)
10. September 17, 2025: Ali Carter v Aaron Hill (English Open)
9. September 14, 2025: Aaron Hill v Yao Pengcheng (English Open)
8. September 2, 2025: Zhou Yuelong v Julien Leclercq (Xi'an Grand Prix)
7. August 25, 2025: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Pang Junxu (Wuhan Open)
6. August 24, 2025: Xiao Guodong v Mink Nutcharut (Wuhan Open)
5. August 15, 2025: Ronnie O'Sullivan v Chris Wakelin (Saudi Arabia Masters)
4. August 15, 2025: Ronnie O'Sullivan v Chris Wakelin (Saudi Arabia Masters)
3. August 10, 2025: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Jordan Brown (Saudi Arabia Masters)
2. July 29, 2025: Zhang Anda v Ding Junhui (Shanghai Masters)
1. July 17, 2025: Fan Zhengyi v Xu Si (Championship League)

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

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