Mark Allen reveals problem he has with snooker's elite Tour Championship – 'Spoiled a really good event'
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ByEurosport
Updated 06/04/2024 at 08:38 GMT
Mark Allen has pointed out one major gripe he has with the format of the 12-player Tour Championship. Allen will face Mark Williams today as he bids to secure a final showdown with world No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan on Sunday. Despite the event being hailed as a huge success with sell-out crowds flocking to Manchester Central this week, Allen feels a one-table set-up was more fitting for prestige.
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The Tour Championship appears to have found a new permanent home in Manchester with sell-out crowds turning out to support the celebrated 12-player event in the city's first experience of hosting a major tournament.
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was quick to praise the arena at Manchester Central following his 10-7 win over Gary Wilson in the semi-finals on Friday night that saw him weigh in with three sparkling centuries and five plus-50 breaks.
"This is an amazing venue – backstage is great, the arena and crowds are great," said O'Sullivan, who is chasing a sixth major title of the season and a 42nd ranking victory of his golden 32-year career.
The world No. 1 will meet Mark Allen or Mark Williams in the best-of-19 frame final on Sunday with a £150,000 top prize on the line.
Allen has won the Champion of Champions, Shoot Out and Players Championship this season, and is provisionally ranked as world No. 1 for next season ahead of the World Championship in Sheffield later this month (20 April-May 6).
He has already completed impressive wins over John Higgins (10-7) and Ding Junhui (10-8) with three-time world champion Williams enjoying victories over Tom Ford (10-9) and Judd Trump (10-4) in his run to the last four.
But Allen has his own thoughts on the restyled event that has increased from the top eight on the one-year ranking list to 12 for the first time since it was first staged by Llandudno five years ago when O'Sullivan was victorious in Wales.
As part of the Players Series, the World Grand Prix involves the top 32 on the one-year list, with the Players Championship moving to 16 and the Tour event traditionally reduced to a final eight and a one-table set-up like the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
"They shouldn't have changed it from eight," said 2020 Tour runner-up Allen after his win over Higgins in the first round.
"You work your way down from 32 to 16. They should have kept it at eight with a one-table set-up from the first round. That's the way it should have been.
"I was only going to say that if I won the match because it would obviously have sounded like sour grapes. They spoiled a really good event, and one we all look forward to."
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