John Higgins agonisingly missed out on becoming the first player ever to hit a maximum break in the World Snooker Championship final on Monday.
The Wizard of Wishaw looked set up for a terrific 147 in the 18th frame of his clash with Judd Trump at The Crucible, producing a sensational trademark double to pot the 15th and final red and move himself back onto the black.
It looked a straightforward pot off the spot as Higgins prepared to dispatch the colours, yet the 43-year-old disappointingly caught the jaws of the bottom-right corner pocket to groans from the expectant crowd.
Nevertheless, it was the Scot's 150th century at the home of snooker - and the 12th by any player at this year's tournament - and reduced the deficit in the best-of-35 match to 12-6 after an exhibition of cue power and trickery from Trump on Sunday evening saw him lead 12-5 overnight after the opening session ended tied at four frames apiece.
Four-time world champion Higgins - a winner in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011 - is making his third straight appearance in the final at The Crucible after successive defeats to Mark Selby and Mark Williams in 2017 and 2018.
He made a break of 59 after his 147 attempt stalled on 113, but Trump - making his first final appearance since losing 18-15 to Higgins in 2011 aged 21 - hit straight back with scores of 101 and 71 to take a 14-7 lead into the mid-session interval.
