Ronnie O'Sullivan came within eight shots of compiling only the second maximumbreak in the 29-year history of Benson & Hedges Masters at Wembley Arenatonight.
"The Rocket" travelled by train and tube to play his first match of the 2003event but would have been driving home in an Stg£80,000 Honda sports car had heemulated the achievement of Canadian Kirk Stevens in 1984.
He still cued his way superbly to 112 in the second frame of his second-round6-1 victory over Joe Perry before missing the last red into the green pocket.
His failure to sink the red also cost him a chance of the £22,000 high breakprize and denied 6ft 10in coach and mentor Derek Hill an ideal 50th birthdaypresent.
"I think Del would probably only have got one foot in the car anyway,"quipped the former world champion.
"It was quite a difficult shot, tougher than it probably looked ontelevision," said O'Sullivan, who used public transport - including threechanges - to get from his Chigwell home to Wembley because of traffic chaos onthe M25 and North Circular Road.
"I had to play it with a bit of side and I was also hindered by the green. Iwould love to make a maximum at the Masters because I've never really had achance to do so before.
"I'm pleased with the win and it's always nice to get off to a good start.It's such a fantastic place to play, it makes you want to play some goodstuff," O'Sullivan added.
O'Sullivan will now meet Ireland's Ken Doherty in the quarter-finals.
PA