Maximum rush continues on World Snooker Tour with Xiao Guodong striking perfection in Shanghai

The latest player to join the list is Xiao Guodong who slotted home 15 reds with blacks and all the colours during the third frame of his last 16 match against Neil Robertson at the 2026 Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.

Reigning back-to-back Wuhan Open champion Xiao's feat of baize perfection is his fourth 147 in professional competition.

Summer break...building

The ongoing 2026 Shanghai Masters in the Far East is the first big stage tournament of the fledgling 2026/27 top-flight campaign, although there has been plenty of action on the World Snooker Tour over the past few weeks.

The centre of the snooker world has revolved exclusively around the Mattioli Arena in Leicester over the early summer months with the qualifying rounds for five ranking events, and the behind-closed-doors Championship League that was won by Jak Jones.

Apart from a few elite cueists who took part in the Championship League, the majority of top 16 stars will make their first appearances of the new term at the Shanghai Masters - a prestigious 24-player invitational with a top prize of £210,000.

The first 147 of this season arrived on only its second day when 47-year-old Michael Holt compiled his maiden max during the China Open qualifiers.

With the China Open highest break prize available across both the qualifying and main draw rounds, Holt is in line for a £15,000 bonus.

On July 7th in the Championship League, world number 16 Si Jiahui compiled his second top tier 147, and last week during a qualifying triple-header, Chang Bingyu (21st July - Shenzhen Open qualifiying) and Liam Highfield (24th July - British Open) joined this season's 147 club, too.

For 23-year-old Chang - one of the hottest young properties in the sport right now - it was his third maximum effort within the space of just eight months. For Highfield, it was the first of his career.

All 147s in professional tournament play get added to the same list, but Xiao’s was distinctly different as it was at a main venue, in front of a substantial crowd and television cameras. Although, there has already been talk online about the pockets perhaps playing too generously in Shanghai.

Xiao makes max, but loses match

World number 11 Xiao is in pole position for the £10,000 highest break prize on offer in Shanghai this week - that bonus would be shared equally if anyone else strikes a maximum - but he is out of contention for the £210,000 top prize after being defeated 6-5 by Robertson at the Luwan Indoor Stadium.

On Monday, the opening day of the 24-player invitational, Zhao recovered from 5-2 down to deny amateur wildcard Xu Jiarui. However, the next day, Xiao was on the receiving end of such a comeback as Robertson strung together the final four frames from three down.

Former world champion Robertson took the opening frame on the black despite Xiao's effort of 53 earlier on in it. However, the Chinese cueist then went on a break-building frenzy, racking up runs of 74, 147, 133, 95 and 94 in establishing a 5-2 lead.

But Australian Robertson - who has never won this title, and only made the quarter-finals (last year) once in his last seven appearances in it - mounted a brilliant resurgence. The 44-year-old claimed the eighth frame before efforts of 115 and 62 helped him force a decider which he emerged from.

With five maximums registered within the first few weeks of the term, there is already talk of last season’s record-smashing total of 24 being eclipsed.

That total of 24 147s from the 2025/26 season obliterated the previous benchmark of 15 that was set from only the season before (2024/25).

There have now been 246 maximum 147 breaks in professional snooker history; the first officially recognised one was Steve Davis’ unprecedented contribution at the 1982 Lada Classic.