Mark Allen wanted no part of his maximum break at the World Snooker Championship.
Mark Allen fumed and said “I don’t just come here to make 147s” after crashing out of the World Snooker Championship. Eighth seed Allen was roundly defeated 13-6 by qualifier Chris Wakelin but one highlight was his perfect 147 break.
He became the first player to make a maximum at the UK Championship, Masters and World Championship, and came close to bagging another in the very same match. Allen is in line for £45,000, though it could be split if another player makes a 147 in the tournament, as he showed immense determination to rally and make the maximum while losing 10-2.
Stephen Hendry on the BBC described the moment as “absolutely phenomenal” but a downbeat Allen could not hide his disappointment shortly after defeat.
"I don't just come here to make 147s,” Allen said. “I would rather have made lots of 30s and still been in the event. I always come here to become world champion so anything less than that will always be disappointing.
"I made a 147 at the Crucible and many people would be happy with that but it [losing in the second round] is a million miles away from where I want to be. The first three reds and three blacks were straight forward I then made my mind up [to go for it]. To win someone in the crowd £25,000 was great as well.
"Then I had another chance and that would've been £147,000 and that would have been amazing because I felt I had to do those things to get the crowd on my side. There were seven close frames in the match and I didn't win any and that's not like me at all. That was the difference. Chris played well in patches but I had plenty of chances."
Allen will enter next year’s tournament as a 40-year-old, having been tipped by many to become a world champion at some point in his trophy-laden career.
Heading to the Crucible, Allen compared himself to fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, with the World Championship his version of the Masters - the one title missing from the cabinet.
The 11-time ranking event winner has reached the semi-finals on two occasions, in 2009 and 2023, but once again has been left dejected by his performance in the Steel City.
"I thought Chris was superb, but as much as he was superb, I was very poor,” Allen added to BBC Four. "I felt like it could have been closer than the scoreline, but there was only good player out there.
"The last frame summed up the whole match for me. I think there were seven close frames and I didn't win any. That's not something that I normally do. Normally I'm good at those close frames and the scrappy ones. That's the difference in the match there. Seven close frames in a best-of-25, and if you don't win any you're not going to win."
.jpg)
0 Nhận xét