Mark Allen chalked up a magnificent seventh ranking title by defending his home Northern Ireland Open crown on Sunday night. The 36-year-old from Antrim scored a 14th straight win at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast with a brilliant 9-4 comeback victory over China's Zhou Yuelong.
Former Masters champion Allen, who trailed 4-1 and won the last eight frames, rises to number nine in the world with a success that earned him £80,000 and saw him lift the Alex Higgins Trophy for a second year in a row. And the combination of shedding almost five stones in weight and working with leading sports psychologist Dr Paul Gaffney looks to be working wonders.
It was a second consecutive final for the in-form Allen, who finished runner-up at the recent British Open. But there was disappointment for Zhou, 24 - left still looking for his first title.
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Allen, who clinches the 16th and last place in this month's Champion of Champions, said: "I should have been 5-1 down and got out of jail at 4-4 in the first session. But tonight I was a different player and really put him under it. And there is relief to get over the line because when you’re 8-4 up you should win.
“It wasn't quite like last year and I didn't have my best stuff. But there was fight and tenacity, and Zhou maybe started feeling it. And winning my last two titles in my home town with my fiancée here, my daughter and my future step-daughter, it doesn't get any better. It is a huge buzz, and I am very happy.
“I was trying to stay in the moment out there, and think of good moments in my snooker career – think positive thoughts, think of winning clearances I have made and key balls I have potted.
“Zhou has a bright future though and will win multiple ranking titles, he is only 24. And I would also like to give a big shout out to my dad who has always been there for me especially in some tough times over the last couple of years. Him and my mum sold their house to help fund my career.
“We’ll have a bit of a party and I’ll enjoy myself as you have to, these moments don’t come along all the time. It’s about making memories and special moments, and this really has been another one. I wonder how many Jaegerbombs you can fit in this trophy!”
Zhou said: “I started very well, went 4-1 up and made a mistake which meant I didn’t go 5-1 up and I think that was the turning point and the key frame. After that I lost concentration and couldn’t pot a ball, but congratulations to Mark, in the second session he played really well and dominated, putting me under so much pressure.”
Allen emerged for the first session of the final to a rousing ovation from his home crowd. The atmosphere bar in snooker has been considerably lifted in the last fortnight with the record number of fans seen at the Hong Kong Masters, culminating in a 9,000 attendance for that final.
The Waterfront Hall, with a capacity of just over 1,000 but still more than the Crucible, has always been able to generate some crackling electricity - especially when the home hero is playing. And Allen fed off that to get the first frame under his belt with a break of 57 to take an early lead.
But after that Zhou settled and found his range, hitting his opponent with a four-frame blast. Breaks of first 56, and then a magnificent 135 put the Chengdu pro ahead, and he went on to double that advantage, edging a marathon fifth frame to lead 4-1.
The home favourite dug deep to reduce the arrears with a run of 68, and after Zhou blew a chance to punish him in the next soon closed the deficit to just a single frame. And in the last frame of the afternoon Allen took two chances to get it done but levelled at 4-4 with a run of 55.
Allen put his foot down in the evening, surging 8-4 up with breaks of 53, 85, 50 and 51. And he soon closed out the win with a superb 109.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
