Most Popular Sports
All Sports
Show All

British Open snooker final as it happened - Ryan Day beats Mark Allen to claim 2022 British Open title

Eurosport
ByEurosport

Updated 02/10/2022 at 22:23 GMT

Re-live Eurosport's live coverage of the final of the 2022 British Open with Mark Allen and Ryan Day facing off against each other to take the title. It was a fascinating match between two players who could have definitely used a kick-start to their seasons with a ranking title nice and early in October to give them a boost of confidence going into the winter.

Jimmy White qualifies for NI Open in style with dazzling century in deciding frame

Thanks for your company

That concludes our live coverage of the 2022 British Open, we hope you enjoyed it. We'll be back with more action from the World Snooker Tour soon.
Take care out there, nighty night.

The Clive Everton Trophy

Ryan gets his mits on the trophy, the 100 large, and the confetti rains down as he lifts the pot into the air. A word for Mark Allen too; his speech in defeat was gracious and admirable for it's sense of perspective, and he's been in superb form this week in Milton Keynes. there are signs that he's found his way back to his best too, and that's going to make him a problem at other tournaments this season.

Ryan Day is the British Open champion

What a moment for Ryan! It's been a tense struggle all day, but he won the last four in a row there to wrench this title away from the pre-match favourite Mark Allen. It's been great showcase of match play snooker from him today, registering ten half-centuries against a player in serious form. This is the biggest pay day of his career, and the fourth ranking event title to his name. He won the Snooker Shoot Out last season, but that pales in comparison to this. Ryan has always been a class act, and a former top 10 player. In his interview he notes how tough it's been in recent years as he's slid down the rankings, but that player is clearly still in there.

Allen 7-10 Day

He's done it! A visibly relieved Ryan gets it over the line by clearing to the pink, and he's won the British Open!

Allen 7-9 Day (39-51)

Mark gets another red and black down, and from a safety that follows he gets the brown in to play. Whoever gets in next takes the frame, surely - and it's Ryan, as Mark leaves the yellow to the green pocket. That goes, and if he can take green and brown Mark will need a snooker.

Allen 7-9 Day (31-49)

Ryan picks out a tough red into the bottom right, but not for the first time today misses a black off its spot thereafter. Mark can't pot the following red though, and Ryan misses it too! Pressure, pressure. Mark eventually picks off a red and black, but plays a poor safety on the final red to leave it long to the bottom right. Ryan can't make it - he's definitely feeling it here - and he's served it up for Mark to the left middle. The saving grace for Ryan here is that the brown is currently out of commission.

Allen 7-9 Day (23-48)

This is a gutsy shot from Mark; he cuts a wafer thin red into the right middle, and with the pink a tap-in he's got a chance here. Every shot could be his last here, he's under huge pressure. A penny for Ryan's thoughts too; he was so close to victory there, and one loose shot undid everything. Look at this though - Mark gambles everything on a thin cut to the bottom left, and it stays hanging in the jaws! Ryan converts it, but can't get conveniently on a colour and dumps the white in baulk instead. There are three reds left out there.

Allen 7-9 Day (0-47)

Ryan couldn't look any more locked in than he does right now. He goes into the pack off the blue, and he's just about on a thin cut to the bottom right. In it goes, and he's gone up and landed on the brown. You'll never get a better look than this to bag a ranking title, it's all there for him. As I type that, he's lost position after potting a red and can't cut the pink in; that's end of break, but he's not left anything easy.

Allen 7-9 Day (0-27)

Mark tries to deadweight a red into the bottom right at the start of frame 17. It's so close, but it rattles slightly out of the jaws; Ryan thin cuts it in, and he's on the brown. An early split on the pack doesn't seem to have worked out, but have a look at this - he's doubled a red into the right middle to stay on the black! This is a serious chance now. The pack will need another nudge, but it's on.

Allen 7-9 Day

An 84 from Ryan secures the first breathing space either player has had in this final.
When Mark won the Northern Ireland Open last year, he had to win the final three frames against John Higgins. If he's to win the British Open, he'll need to repeat the dose on Ryan Day.

Allen 7-8 Day (0-69)

This is magnificent from Ryan, who pots frame ball red and then the black to ensure Mark will stay rooted in his chair. He's on the cusp of a sensational victory now.

Allen 7-8 Day (0-51)

Make that ten half-tons now, as Ryan drops the black into the bottom left. There are still five open reds between pink and black spot, and you couldn't ask for a better chance than this to bank another one.

Allen 7-8 Day (0-29)

Now then Ryan. He's got the lead back, and picks off a stray red to the yellow pocket followed by the blue to develop an early chance in frame 16. It's a good look, and he's so focused here. On 24 he's left with a long-ish blue to the green pocket; it's a huge shot given the context of the match, and he absolutely nails it! What a pot, and he's got a great chance to score heavy now.

Allen 7-8 Day

It's been a cavalcade of half-tons from Ryan, his 77 here representing his ninth of the match so far. He's just two frames away now from a sensational victory!

Allen 7-7 Day (18-65)

Ryan methodically picks off what he needs, rolling a pink into the right middle to leave Mark needing snookers. This one's cooked, and very shortly Ryan will lead for the first time since he went 4-3 ahead this afternoon.

Allen 7-7 Day (18-50)

Lorks a lordy, Mark is feeling this. After potting the opening red he misses a simple blue to the bottom left, in so far as things are simple in this heat. That's gifted a veritable practice table to Ryan, who hasn't got much to do with the cue ball to put this frame to bed. Composure is the order of the day here, and he's on 24 and counting in this crucial visit.

Allen 7-7 Day (17-26)

Mark gets eight down and the pack open, but then misses a cut on a red to the bottom right. He's back in a few shots later though with a brilliant long red to the bottom right, and then flukes brilliant position on his next red after potting the green. That red is tense though, needing all the pocket to go in and as a result he's not on the black. The safety that follows is good though, forcing a foul from Ryan that serves up an easy starter. Huge chance here for Mark.

Allen 7-7 Day (0-26)

Frame 15 begins with Mark giving away six when he catches pink first on a one cushion escape. A safety exchange of the highest quality follows, with neither player ceding ground and only broken when Ryan drains a red as a shot to nothing. He lands fortuitously on the brown, and he's got a chance to get something going here. There's not a load so he'll need to develop the pack, but won't have the chance as he leaves the black in the jaws of the bottom left to end his break on 20 and leave Mark in.

Allen 7-7 Day

That'll do it; a 74 from Ryan turns this into a best-of-five. What an arm wrestle this is!

Allen 7-6 Day (15-72)

The red-pink barrage continues, and this combination with three reds remaining leaves Mark needing two snookers. Neither Ryan nor Mark is letting this argument go, and we look destined for a Decider in Shredsville.

Allen 7-6 Day (15-45)

Ryan is digging deep here, and a pink to bottom right takes this break to 40. There are five other reds in the open and with the black tied up, he needs to keep landing on the pink or go up for the blue to keep this break ticking over and level it up again.

Allen 7-6 Day (15-5)

Ryan goes in-off, and from the D Mark sends a slightly off straight red right into the heart of the bottom left. At the conclusion of the previous frame Mark treated himself to a Henmania fist-pump in celebration, can he get some momentum going now? Apparently not, because he's missed a red to the bottom right from mid-range. Ryan then picks up four points after Mark misses a thin contact safety, and several safety shots are exchanged before Mark misses a red to the bottom right and leaves it on.

Allen 7-6 Day

Mark finds an excellent shot to deep screw the white from brown to blue, but then leaves himself a tough pink to the bottom right with the rest for the frame. It doesn't go, and we've still got a live one here! A poor safety from Ryan leaves the pink on to bottom left immediately though, and Mark strokes it in to pinch the frame!

Allen 6-6 Day (45-57)

My word, it's tense out there. Ryan drops in behind the last red, which is just off the bottom cushion. How big will this be though - he catches the cushion first and leaves it in the jaws! Mark picks it off, followed by the green. If he can dish to the pink on the colours, he'll nick a crucial frame.

Allen 6-6 Day (41-41)

Mark's safety is good, and yields ten points in misses as Ryan needs three goes to escape. Mark then goes in-off, and then returns to the table welded in tight behind the brown in baulk from a brilliant safety by Ryan. Mark is in bother, and although he escapes he leaves a red to the right middle. Ryan mounts a comeback, and a delicate shot to nudge a red away from the black early on has given him a yahoo at making a significant visit. His break reaches 36 and with three reds remaining, we're all square in the frame.

Allen 6-6 Day (31-5)

We're back and Ryan gets the first two reds down, the second of which is a booming drive into the bottom right with deep screw to go back up for the green. After said green he then misses a red to the bottom left, and Mark is in. This is the kind of chance he's been devouring all week, but in stunning in the blue to reach 31 he trickles the white through a cluster of reds near the bottom cushion and, amazingly, lands on nothing.

Allen 6-6 Day

It's 79 in total, and we can't split these two. No one has been ahead by more than a frame at any stage, and we could be on for a Homeric late one to sort this out. Join us in 15 after the interval.

Allen 6-5 Day (0-70)

A black to take the break to 63 is frame ball, and the next red is routine. What a scrap we've got on tonight; it'll be best-of-seven from here.

Allen 6-5 Day (0-47)

After losing position on the black early in his break, Ryan recovers it with a delicate roll into the left middle to hold for his next red. He's soon up to 40 in this break, with the remaining six reds all in the open. If he can hold his nerve here, we'll be going into the interval level again.

Allen 6-5 Day (0-17)

Mark tries a long red to the bottom left with safety in mind, but it spits out and it's on the yellow pocket. Cueing is awkward with the white near the upper right rail, but Ryan strokes it in superbly to land on the blue. Another good red a few shots later leaves him on the black, but he misses another one off its spot; Mark then misses a straightforward red to bottom right, and both players are briefly struggling. Back comes Ryan though; he pots two reds in one shot and then rehouses the black on its spot to develop another chance.

Allen 6-5 Day

A quick red and black from Mark follows, and Ryan concedes the frame.

Allen 5-5 Day (58-6)

It's 54 for Mark before position finally deserts him. His snooker is a beauty, and again Ryan is tight in the jaws of the yellow pocket behind the yellow. That yields four from a miss, before Ryan finds a superb glancing escape off two cushions. Mark rattles frame ball red out of the jaws of the bottom right thereafter, and Ryan gets in with an excellent long red. He misses a black off its spot to follow though; that means he needs a snooker, and even worse he's left Mark in.

Allen 5-5 Day (34-5)

Mark really has to graft for position early on, and so far this evening lacks the mesmerising cue ball control he has exhibited all week. This break has been a slog, but it hits 32 and he still has two reds below the pink to go for. A pack of five others just off to the left are all covering each other, and will probably decide this frame.

Allen 5-5 Day (2-5)

Ryan breaks and, once more, Mark hoses down a red immediately. Both players are laughing about this sequence now, it's virtually automatic. Mark doesn't find position though, and can only craft eight from another chance a few shots later. With tap and nudge safety following, a re-rack is quickly agreed. When we re-start, Mark gets a red down but accidentally pots the blue in the same shot. He drains a plant a few shots later, and plays a snooker behind the yellow; it's a defensive shot as he could have gone for the green, but it pays off as Ryan escapes but serves up an easy starter.

Allen 5-5 Day

Ryan reaches frame ball red, and it's a tough cut to the right middle. He makes sure of it, rolling it in to leave the white in baulk and then putting the yellow safe. Mark has one look at the table and waves it off. We're all square again!

Allen 5-4 Day (1-61)

It's an awkward table, but Ryan carefully stitches a break together from what's available. Full control of the cue ball is proving elusive, but the blue takes him to another half-century and with four reds tied up on the right rail he's building a more than useful lead here.

Allen 5-4 Day (1-9)

At the start of the tenth frame Mark is in a bothersome position in baulk. He can see a red full ball, but can't get back to baulk from it; he tries to go off two cushions and escape, incurring nine penalty points and a warning that he'll lob the frame if he misses the reds again. Mark then bashes his way out of trouble, forcing the white through the sea of reds and somehow back into the D. A few shots later he gets in first with a plant to the bottom right, but badly misses a blue to right middle thereafter to leave Ryan in.

Allen 5-4 Day

Ryan escapes from a snooker and leaves the yellow over the bottom right, and that'll so it. Mark steps in and clears up to the blue for the frame.

Allen 4-4 Day (67-37)

Mark's break ends at 40 as he misses a red to he yellow pocket, and Ryan will need one snooker here. Ryan pots red-pink-red-black, and will go for the four pointer he needs off the yellow.

Allen 4-4 Day (59-22)

Ryan can't take it; on 22 he misses a black off its spot, and the initiative goes back to Mark. It's a chance to pull away in the frame and Mark does as he reaches 32. In potting the black he nudges apart the final three reds, and a red and high value colour will be enough for the frame here.

Allen 4-4 Day (27-0)

Here we go again? Ryan breaks, and Mark deadweights in a long red to bottom right to hold for the black. He looks zoned in straight away, but on 27 misses a red to the bottom right and he's handed a chance to Ryan.

Let's have it

Our resident MC Tahir Hajat announces the players back into the arena. Ryan strolls in to Mr Brightside, Mark to Sweet Caroline. They both need six frames, so let's see how this plays out.

The stakes

A quick reminder on what we're playing for - the bounty is 100 large, and comes with the Clive Everton Trophy.

Welcome back!

It’s time to decide the destiny of the 2022 British Open, and tonight we’ve effectively got a best of 11 for you. Mark Allen and Ryan Day are locked at 4-4 after a superb afternoon session; will it be nip and tuck again, or can one of them pull away and win the title?

---

Thanks for your company

Join us again from 6.45pm tonight for the conclusion of this final.

Allen and Day all square in final

After an absorbing session of the highest quality, we're level in this final and with no idea where this title will go. Neither player has a lead, or the momentum; it's been tit-for-tat exchanges of heavy scoring, in rapid fire frames, which tees up the evening session beautifully. Don't miss it.

Allen 4-4 Day

Ryan gambles everything on a thin red to the bottom right. He catches it too thin, and it hangs in the jaws; when Mark mops it up with the spider, Ryan concedes the frame.

Allen 3-4 Day (59-0)

Mark clears up the open reds but can't find an angle to open the pack, so has to send the white back to baulk. There's still 67 left on so there's hope still for Ryan, though when Mark drops in a solitary red as a shot to nothing it means he can only tie.

Allen 3-4 Day (42-0)

Mark's safety back to baulk is good, and forces another mistake from Ryan. With an easy opener to the left middle, Mark starts filling his boots again, and he's got two open reds still to go for before he needs to disturb a cluster below the pink spot.

Allen 3-4 Day (20-0)

We're averaging 13 minutes a frame here, this is tremendous stuff. This is a big final frame, and a misjudged safety from Ryan leaves Mark an easy starter. It's a decent chance, but a poor shot when trying to stun to the left of the pink leaves Mark without a shot on a colour, and it's end of break.

Allen 3-4 Day

A 54, Ryan's fifth half-century, puts him back in the lead.

Allen 3-3 Day (15-61)

Superb stuff from Ryan, who dispatches frame ball pink and will go into the evening session no worse than level. He won't want this session to end because he is on top here.

Allen 3-3 Day (15-36)

Mark can only make 15 before landing so low on the black that he has no chance of opening the pack, so he plays safe to baulk. Soon enough, Ryan is back in with a red to left middle, and this is a chance that might stick if he can develop four reds below the pink spot. He lands on the bottom one, stunning it into the bottom left and shifting the remaining three into play, and he's on the pink.

Allen 3-3 Day (0-22)

Ryan is off again, with a red long into the bottom left and then a brown to right middle to come back down the table. He is cueing beautifully today. On 22 though misses a black off its spot to the bottom left, as surprising as Mark's missed red in the last frame. And speaking of Mark, here's a chance to counter.

Allen 3-3 Day

A few pots later, frame six is in the books. It's been a cracking session so far, and we've got two frames left in it.

Allen 3-2 Day (36-64)

Ryan hits the front in the frame, before taking on a tough penultimate red along the bottom rail and dropping it into the bottom left. The black follows, and off it he moves the final red off the rail and he's got a shot at this to the green pocket. He takes it on, but it doesn't go; this last seven balls are a significant moment in the match. Mark then fouls, and Ryan has frame ball red to the yellow pocket. He drops it in, and he's on the black.

Allen 3-2 Day (36-1)

Well now! Mark misses a virtually straight red to the bottom right, and the crowd are audibly stunned. It's very early in the match, but you do feel Ryan will need to punish that in full. There's one red up on the upper left rail that might nix a frame-winning clearance, but Ryan can register a hefty visit.

Allen 3-2 Day (24-1)

Can Ryan hit back? It seems so initially as he monsters a plant into the bottom right, but can't follow it up with the green. Mark gets back in, but only just, as he wriggles a red into the left middle to land on the black. It's another good spread for him and he's soon making hay again.

Allen 3-2 Day

Another frame is gone within minutes as Mark reaches 67 with 59 left on. This is computer game stuff so far, from both players. Mark opens the door to a century by cutting a red into the left middle and bringing the final red out and over the bottom right; this is superb stuff. It's another ton, as Mark makes 105 before missing the green.

Allen 2-2 Day (51-0)

A blue to right middle takes Mark to another half-century, and the frame is absolutely at his mercy here. He's played so well this week.

Allen 2-2 Day (28-0)

For the third time today Allen tags a red long into the bottom left, and he's off again. The black is on to both corners and there are a number of reds that have separated from the pack. Even so, he splits the pack early and he's crafted a superb frame-winning chance here.

Allen 2-2 Day

Day gets one of the snookers back but eventually concedes, and in less than an hour we're at the interval. Phew!

Allen 1-2 Day (75-7)

Mark drains a red long to the yellow pocket followed by the pink; he's got shot-to-nothing on frame ball red to the right middle. Sure enough it goes right into the heart of the pocket, and that should be lights out in this one. Mark has to play safe after reaching 75, and with four reds remaining Ryan returns to the table needing three snookers.

Allen 1-2 Day (53-7)

A black to right middle takes Allen to another half-century. He's the wrong side of it though, but recovers position with a mid-range red to bottom left on the stretch. If he can develop a pack of five reds below the pink, this should be another frame that disappears in one hit.

Allen 1-2 Day (22-7)

Some lesser-spotted safety play opens frame four, before Ryan drops in a long red to hold for the pink. He can only add that colour and no more though, and Allen then gets back in after Ryan misses a mid-range red a few shots later. It's a decent chance, and Mark is developing this nicely as he reaches 22.

Allen 1-2 Day

Ryan secures the frame and looks nailed on for a century, until he misses the third to last red to left middle. That 73 is more than enough for the frame though, and he leads 2-1.

Allen 1-1 Day (0-54)

A nice shot from Ryan, stunning off the blue and gently into the pack to free two more reds, sees him to a comfortable half-century. There's enough in the open to see the frame off here, and this is some standard in this final.

Allen 1-1 Day (0-31)

Mark tags in a long red to the bottom left, just as he did in the first frame. This time though he slides past the yellow and goes in-off; Ryan responds by clipping in a long red from the D, and he's off. He looks a different player from yesterday, and he's up to 31 and counting in no time.

Allen 1-1 Day

Ryan takes his turn to empty the table now, clearing up with 77 to make it one each.

Allen 1-0 Day (0-73)

Frame ball blue goes, and another red into the left middle thereafter puts it beyond doubt. It's rapid fire stuff, and it's going to be all square shortly.

Allen 1-0 Day (0-58)

A black along the rail to the bottom left uses all of the pocket on its way in, as Ryan kicks on and takes his break to a round half-ton. In stunning through the pack after his next red he's developed others, and he's on the black. This is an excellent response, but in the first big moment of the match he misses a cut on a red to left middle! Mark is still in this one, but soon leaves a red over the bottom right so it seems as though Ryan won't pay for that earlier miss.

Allen 1-0 Day (0-27)

Ryan gets the chance to hit straight back in frame two, as Mark leaves a red on to the left middle. He's looking confident too, as he motors to 27 and counting with four open reds to play off before he needs to address the pack.

Allen 1-0 Day

Frame ball red soon goes, and this is an impressive start from Mark - so impressive in fact that he empties the table for a brilliant 126.

Allen 0-0 Day (53-0)

Mark is picking up from where he left off yesterday, and motors to a half-century with a black to bottom right. In potting his next red he brings several others from the pack into play, and he's on the blue. Mark looks in lovely touch here, and should now seal the frame.

Allen 0-0 Day (22-0)

Ryan breaks, and Mark clouts a red into the bottom left before kissing the yellow and landing perfectly on it. This is an immediate chance, and a good recovery pot on a red to bottom left to land on the blue keeps this break going early on.

Here we go

Our MC Tahir Hajat brings the players out into a full house at the Marshall Arena. First to ten for that silver pot then, let's get about it.

Up for grabs

It’s best of 19 in this final, with eight frames this afternoon and a mid-session interval after four of them. There’s a cool £100,000 heading the way of the winner and this very handsome trophy, recently renamed after the great Clive Everton.

The form book

These are, essentially, two comeback kids going at it today. Mark has six ranking event titles to his name, the last of which was an emotional victory at his home tournament, the Northern Ireland Open in 2021. Since then he’s slid to 14th in the world rankings, but a fitter and more focused Mark has had a good week here in Milton Keynes and will be favourite today after his 6-1 crushing of Noppon Saengkham in yesterday’s semi-final.
A lot of people thought our other finalist, Ryan Day, had seen his best days. He’s a three-time ranking event winner and was once number six in the world, but has fallen out of the top 16 since then. He survived a gruelling battle with Robbie Williams to win his semi-final on a decider, and will need a much better performance today to have a shot at winning the title.

Good afternoon!

Welcome to live coverage of the final of the 2022 British Open from the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. It’s been an open draw format all week and it’s served up an unlikely but thoroughly intriguing final, as Mark Allen takes on Ryan Day for the title.

'It was embarrassing!' - Day unhappy after error-strewn semi-final win

Ryan Day said he was "embarrassed" with his performance despite progressing through to the British Open final with a gruelling 6-5 semi-final win over Robbie Williams in Milton Keynes.
The Welshman will face Mark Allen for the trophy on Sunday, after finding some rhythm to come back from two frames behind and win an error-strewn match that lasted more than three hours.
Day will compete for his fourth career ranking trophy against 2018 Masters champion Allen, who comfortably beat Noppon Saengkham 6-1 earlier in the day.
Day made to pay for errors as Higgins cruises into the Round of 16 at Scottish OpenDay made to pay for errors as Higgins cruises into the Round of 16 at Scottish Open
"Neither me nor Robbie played well," said Day after the match.
"It was embarrassing. I was missing balls all night. I thought I started okay. Robbie made a good break in the second frame. It kind of went downhill from there.
"I didn't have an A, B, C or D game. All you can do is fight."
Read full story here.
- -
Stream the Home Nations and more top snooker action live on Eurosport and discovery+
Join 3M+ users on app
Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports
Download
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement