Carter tries to keep feet on ground

Snooker’s maximum men will today share the Crucible stage in a bid to reach the 888.com World Championship semi-finals in Sheffield.

Just a day after Ronnie O’Sullivan recorded the seventh 147 in Crucible history, Ali Carter made it number eight in the 15th frame of his quarter-final with Peter Ebdon last night.

Carter admitted he was “shaking like a leaf” after creating snooker history with the first maximum of his career – the first time two 147s have been scored in the same tournament.

But the 28-year-old from Essex has little time to recover from the excitement as he returns to action today with a 9-7 lead over 2002 champion Ebdon, needing six more for a place in the last four.

On the other side of the screen, O’Sullivan resumes his quarter-final with China’s Liang Wenbo locked at 4-4.

Carter will earn half of the £147,000 bonus for a maximum and the £10,000 for the highest break of the tournament, perhaps scuppering O’Sullivan’s plans to buy a Bentley convertible.

He joked: “I’m going to buy a Ford Focus convertible, I’ve been dying to get one! It was a real adrenalin rush, especially after seeing Ronnie’s. To get the first of my career here is extra special, it’s just brilliant.

“I was going for it once I got to 60-odd. I’m really pleased but I’ve still got a match to win so I had to keep my head in gear and I’m glad I settled in the last frame.

“I was just playing on instinct because I was shaking like a leaf. If the balls are there everyone’s going to go for it because of the prize money.”

Carter jumped around the table in delight after potting a tricky final black despite the white being close to the side cushion, and was congratulated by Stephen Hendry and Ryan Day, who had stopped play on the other side of the screen to watch the closing stages.

Hendry was unable to beat Ryan Day with a session to spare after racing into an 8-1 lead, but the seven-time champion resumes today with an 11-5 advantage, just two frames away from the semi-finals.

The other quarter-final sees Stephen Maguire and Joe Perry also locked at 4-4, Maguire recovering from 4-0 down.