Ali Carter makes the tenth 147 break of the season, against the player who made the ninth just days before

Carter sank 15 reds with 15 blacks and then all the colours in the fourth frame of his last 32 match with Aaron Hill at the Brentwood Centre in Essex.

This is the fourth time that Carter has achieved the feat in professional competition; his maiden one memorably came at the Crucible Theatre during the 2008 World Championship. In total, 227 official maximums have now been recorded in professional competition.

Incredibly, this is already the tenth time this season that a 147 break has been constructed on the professional circuit.

Ironically, Hill was the player who scored the ninth, just three nights before at this venue during his second round victory over Yao Pengcheng. With a £5,000 bonus for the tournament's highest break, as it stands, Hill and Carter will share the prize equally - although there are still four full days left for someone else to get in on the act.

However, it was Ireland’s number one Hill who had the last laugh in his encounter with Carter, as he recovered from 3-1 down to oust his opponent 4-3 and move into Thursday’s last 16.

Carter began the tie in style with a 118 break in frame one before Hill levelled. A 77 in frame three helped Carter go back in front, before his 147 put him on the hill first.

But 23-year-old Hill - who is one of the hottest young properties in the sport - strung together the next three frames for a comeback victory.

A Perfect 10 for 147s this season

This remarkable sequence of maximum break excellency was ignited by Fan Zhengyi in the middle of July at the Championship League Ranking Event.

A few weeks later, Zhang Anda made one at the Shanghai Masters before three maximum breaks were crafted at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Jeddah - one by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, and astonishingly two from Ronnie O’Sullivan during the same match in his semi-final against Chris Wakelin.

O’Sullivan’s historic effort was the first time that a player has made more than one 147 during the same session of a professional match. Earlier this year, Welsh youngster Jackson Page was the first cueist to hit two maximums within the same match, although they came in different sessions on different days in World Championship qualifying.

At last month’s Wuhan Open, champion Xiao Guoodong - who went on to successfully defend the title - struck a 147 in his opening match, and the next day Un-Nooh followed suit with the sixth maxy of his pro career.

Zhou Yuelong swelled the seasonal 147 tally to eight when he achieved the feat of perfection in Xi’an Grand Prix qualifying at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester earlier this month.

Now, Hill and Carter are the latest players to swell the list with their contributions at the English Open.

The way things are going, the existing record for the most maximum breaks made in one professional season - 15, set last season - will be smashed.

Visit our 2025 English Open tournament information centre here for the draw, results, and details on the format, schedule, prize money, and how to watch.