Cork cueman Hill taking his career to the 147 max and beyond

7th. He wasn't surprised the second followed so quickly after the first.

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“No, not really, to be honest, because that tends to happen a lot, like in practice you would get one and then you get another, and all of a sudden you've got a couple that week.

“I don’t know how that happens, but I suppose you're just going on confidence from the first one.”

The awareness that a 147 is on comes early in a break, he explained, but there are several keys to seeing it through to the sinking of the final black.

The first is this: suppress that early break adrenaline.

“I have to block it out because the frame is more important, you like to get that done first,’ Hill said.

“Once that’s won, then you can do your best to try and make the 147. You can have a proper go at it then.”

It is taking one shot at a time but not overthinking it.

“If you get too ahead of yourself, you put too much pressure on,’ he explained.

“It's how you remain controlled. You're more likely to miss if you're thinking about it, so you're trying to get it done as quickly as possible, so you can't think about it.”

“When you're on around 64 or 72, and the balls are sitting nice, you know the chance is there.”

He was nervous as he built the break for that first 147 in Brentwood but felt very relaxed for the second.

“I just stayed in the moment,” Hill recalled. “It means so much to make it so you're trying your nuts off to try and do it.

“You've done all the hard work towards the end so when it comes out of the colours, it’s about staying focused and getting the job done.

“It was brilliant to get them both. It was a goal to make the 147 on the tour and I've got two now in such a short time, so it’s a good moment. There was a good crowd as well last week in China, so that was class. Hopefully I can get a few more.”