Aditya Mehta. Picture by Monique Limbos

ADITYA Mehta became the first Indian player to make a maximum 147 in a professional snooker event on the opening day of the Paul Hunter Classic event in Germany.

The world number 49, who last year reached the inaugural Indian Open final, made the perfect break during his last 32 match against Stephen Maguire yesterday (Friday) in the season’s second European Tour competition..

Despite knocking in the huge 147 break and winning £1,500 as a 147 rolling prize, should it not be equalled for the remainder of the event, Mehta lost out to the five times ranking event winner 4-2 to deny him a place in the final day’s action of the season’s second European Tour event.

Following the triumph Mehta said: “It’s an amazing feeling. The balls opened up and I knew it was an opportunity by the time I was on 32.

“I’ve only made one 147 in practice and one in a match in India. I hoped one day I would be lucky enough to make one in a pro event and today it happened out of the blue.”

Meanwhile, five-times world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan returned to the baize in fine style as he strolled to three comfortable wins to book his place in the last days action on Sunday.

The Rocket, playing his first match since losing to Mark Selby in the World Championship final back in May, beat Noppon Saengkham, Robbie Williams and Barry Hawkins and lost just one frame en-route to the last 16.

O’Sullivan and Maguire were joined into the last 16 by Judd Trump, who thwarted off a fightback from amateur Mitchell Travis, Mark Allen, Robert Milkins, Alan McManus, Xiao Guodong and world number 116 Tian Pengfei.