Mark Allen recovers to edge past Dave Gilbert at World Grand Prix, Neil Robertson out

Updated 16/01/2023 at 23:40 GMT

Mark Allen was out of sorts early on at the Centaur in Cheltenham, but came back from a 2-1 deficit to edge past Dave Gilbert 4-2 in the World Grand Prix first round. After a lengthy battle in what was to prove the final frame, Allen had just enough to get over the line. Zhou Yuelong also won against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh after hitting a century break in their deciding frame.

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Mark Allen reeled off three straight frames as he fought back from an early deficit to beat Dave Gilbert 4-2 at the World Grand Prix in Cheltenham, while Neil Robertson crashed out.

Allen and Gilbert's opener was not one of the better frames you will see this year, with both players struggling for fluency out of the traps.

Ultimately it was Gilbert who erred once too often, leaving Allen to wrap up the frame and the early lead.

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For those coming straight off watching the long-potting excellence of Mark Williams at the Masters - which concluded on Sunday night with Judd Trump victorious - this was something of a contrast, with neither player convincing.

And when Gilbert levelled after getting ahead early on in frame two, the 1-1 scoreline felt like a fair reflection.

After the scratchy beginning, finally there was a break of some substance, with Gilbert getting in with a 68 after sinking a long red.

That was brought to a close when he miscued and fouled, but it was enough to win the frame.

Allen's highest break at the end of the third was a paltry 18, but some green shoots showed themselves in the Northern Irishman's game in the next, as he edged the safety battle and got himself ahead in the score.

And when he got in again, he was able to edge far enough clear to nab the frame, and make it two frames apiece.

Suddenly it was an Allen revival. In the next frame he sunk a long red and went on to compile a terrific, unexpected 133 which featured a beautiful two-cushion shot that broke up the pack.

3-2 then, and now it was Gilbert who needed to respond in frame six, with Allen just one from victory.

But the momentum was with the man from Antrim, and he racked up a 40-point lead to leave Gilbert staring into the abyss.

However he ran out of position to let Gilbert back in, and after an outrageous fluke on a long red, the Englishman pulled back his deficit to lead by five.

The final red remained, and both players missed opportunities to pot it with nerves perhaps starting to tell.

But finally Allen, when given another sighter of it, hammered it into the top corner pocket and then proceeded to clear up to the pink ball, at which point Gilbert shook hands.

The later matches of the evening session saw Robertson crash out 4-1 to Xiao Guodong, while Jack Lisowski beat Robert Milkins 4-3.

Robertson - coming off his shock Masters defeat to Shaun Murphy - looked in a bit of trouble early on against Xiao, with the 33-year-old from China winning the first frame and then getting a healthy 47-point lead in the second.

A secondary visit turned into a frame-winning one, and at 2-0, Xiao was, unexpectedly, right in the driving seat.

Aware of the importance of the third, it began in bitty fashion, but once again it was Xiao who got in first and this time moved into a 59-point lead.

And though Robertson fought back, Xiao eventually took it to lead 3-0.

Although Robertson finally got some table time to pull one back as he avoided a whitewash, Xiao soon completed a memorable win.

Zhou Yuelong also qualified for the last 16 with a 4-3 win against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

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