Snooker:Ronnie O'Sullivan had to be persuaded to pot the black to secure a 147 break at the World Open in Glasgow after learning there was no bonus prize for a maximum.
O‘Sullivan shook hands with Mark King after potting the pink to take his break to 140 in the final frame of his quickfire 3-0 triumph.
But referee Jan Verhaas convinced the former world champion to finish off the 10th maximum of his career, putting him in pole position to claim the highest break prize of ‘only’ €4,790 (£4,000).
O’Sullivan said: “I wasn’t going to pot the black because to make 147 and not really get a nice bonus was a bit disappointing because they are magical moments and they deserve magical bonuses.
“But the ref played a guilt trip on me and said ‘Come on, do it for your fans‘. And I thought, ‘Okay, because I haven‘t got long to play anyway, so I might as well go out on a high.‘ But I wasn‘t going to pot it because four grand, once you‘ve paid the taxes...”
When asked whether he needed the money, O‘Sullivan responded: “Twenty-five (thousand) would have been nice so I could have gone on holiday.”
The world number six, who plays Jimmy White in the fourth round, claimed he would have been happy to make a break of 140.
“I got as much a kick out of doing that as I would have done making it,” he added. “It‘s a great achievement to make a 140 and not pot the black. It shows that to me they are not that difficult to make. From the first red, I already thought I would make a 147.”
The 34-year-old has declared himself a fan of the shorter matches at the SECC in Glasgow but reiterated that he does not have long left in the sport as he aims to spend more time with his two children.
“I think it‘s a great format but it doesn‘t make me want to play the game any more or less,” he said. “I either enjoy playing or I don‘t and I’m still not enjoying playing. I’m going to hang around for a while but I don’t see a long future for me playing.
“I’ve got to make a choice between seeing my children or not seeing as much of them and playing snooker. If it comes to it, my children come first.”