'Relentless and clinical' – Watch Mark Allen produce stunning trick shot to complete breathtaking century
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ByEurosport
Published 21/01/2023 at 10:14 GMT
Mark Allen continued his dream season by reaching the World Grand Prix final with a 6-1 win over Noppon Saengkham in Cheltenham on Friday night. Allen is chasing a career-best third ranking title of the 2022/23 campaign having lifted the Northern Ireland Open and UK Championship last year. Stream top snooker action including the 2023 Shoot Out on Eurosport and discovery+
Allen gets his hands on the UK Championship trophy after impressive fightback
Mark Allen produced a fabulous trick shot during his 6-1 win over Noppon Saengkham in the World Grand Prix semi-finals on Friday night.
The UK champion's dominant performance was perhaps best summed up by an audacious pot on the final black via two cushions in completing a brilliant 127 clearance to move 4-1 clear at the Centaur in Cheltenham.
"That was relentless, it was focused, it was clinical," said commentator David Hendon after watching the black race down the yellow pocket with the crowd clearly engrossed by such terrific shot-making.
Saengkham had despatched world champions Mark Selby, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams during his glorious run to the last four, but again had no answer to Allen having lost by the same margin to the Antrim man in the British Open semi-finals in October.
Allen will contest his fourth ranking final of the season against Judd Trump or Shaun Murphy over the best of 19 frames on Sunday chasing a third title of a memorable campaign that has culminated in victories at the Northern Ireland Open and UK Championship.
He lost 10-7 to Ryan Day in the British Open final and also reached the English Open semi-final last month.
Allen has pinpointed his safety approach as a key strand of his success rather than just a focus on potting balls.
He feels like he has been winning while playing in second gear due to his willingness to slog it out on the tactical side, an approach that paid off handsomely in a marathon 6-5 win over Jack Lisowski in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals.
"I feel like I'm enjoying it more," said Allen, who also enjoyed runs of 78, 73 and 66 in his one-sided win.
"I've got a little bit of a twisted side. I really enjoy those messy frames to see how well I can compete in them.
"I feel that there are not too many better in that department than me."
Allen could move up to a career-best of world No. 3 if he collects the £100,000 first prize on Sunday night.
"I don't want to play negative," he said. "I like to get on with it and go for my shots, but I feel like I've learned that when you are not at your best, there is another way of winning.
"Its about finding a way to win when you are not at your best."
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