Mark Allen
Name: Mark Allen
DOB: February 22nd 1986
Nationality: Northern Ireland
Turned Pro: 2003
Highest Ranking: #11 (2009/10)
Current Ranking: #11
Highest Break: 146 (2007 UK Championship Qualifiers)
Career Highlights: 2009, World Championship Semi-Finalist, 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy Semi-Finalist, 2008 China Open and Northern Ireland Trophy Quarter-Finalist
In short
One of the most promising young players on the tour right now, Mark Allen has climbed up into the top 16 in no time and having consolidated his position there by reaching the semi-finals of the 2009 World Championship will now be looking to turn that undoubted potential into silverware.
An excellent long-potter, Allen plays an aggressive, confident game that reflects his personality around the table. I was at the Crucible when he made his World Championship debut against Ken Doherty in 2007 and although I wanted Ken to win, I could not help but be impressed by Allen’s performance. He looked and played like he had been performing there for all his life and his body language just exuded confidence. I left the arena that day feeling that I had seen the start of something very special on the big stage and though he has a long way to go yet, the signs look extremely promising so far…
Early years
An excellent amateur, Mark won a number of major tournaments including the Northern Ireland and European Championship in 2004, followed by the World Amateur Championship and World U-19 title in 2005.
Following these successes he joined the main tour for the 2005/6 season and immediately began to find his feet, reaching the last 32 stage at two ranking events, as well as winning three matches to reach the final qualifying round for the 2006 World Championship. Despite losing the last six frames of that match to lose 10-7 to Andy Hicks, Allen had done enough to retain his place on the main tour, moving to 62 in the rankings.
World Championship debut
The following season was to be even better as he managed to qualify for the World Championship with a convincing 10-4 win over Robert Milkins first round. Paired with 1997 champion Ken Doherty in his first match at the Crucible, Allen looked nerveless as he imposed his authority on the game from the start, eventually winning out 10-7. Although he lost to Matthew Stevens in the next round, Mark had done enough to move into the top 32 in just his second season and was well positioned to do even better in 2008/9.
2007/8
This is exactly what he did as at the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy he thrilled the home crowd by making it to the semi-finals of a ranking event for the first time. Defeating Graeme Dott, Ryan Day and Gerard Greene on the way, his run was eventually ended with a 6-3 defeat to Fergal O’Brien.
Another highlight was a comprehensive victory over his snooker hero Stephen Hendry in the last 32 of the UK Championship, though after an impressive start to his next match with Mark Williams, his run was not to go any further.
Ultimately however the season was to end on a disappointing note for Mark as he let slip leads of 6-3 and 9-7 to lose to Hendry in the first round of the 2008 World Championship. Although Allen was the better player for much of the match, Hendry won some key frames, notably the opening one of the second session having needed two snookers and Allen struggled to close it out. Thankfully for Allen who thought after the match that he had thrown away a place in the top 16 for the following season, other results went his was and he just snuck in at number 16 exactly.
2008/9
As often can be the case when a young player first graduates to the top 16, Mark’s first season there was been a mixed one as he has reached both a quarter-final and a semi-final early on, before losing four opening round matches. Though on paper some of his results were below par however, many of his conquerors subsequently ran deep in the tournament, for example Joe Swail who reached his first ranking event final in Wales having seen off Mark in the last 32, or Stuart Pettman who reached his first semi-final in China.
One of his most impressive performances came in the invitational Masters event when he breezed past Welshman Ryan Day with an emphatic 6-1 win to move into the quarter-finals. Though he lost there to defending Mark Selby, it was a high-quality match and the man from Antrim once again reminded the world of his potential.
At the 2009 World Championship however, he went even further by not only reaching the semi-final stage at the Crucible for the first time in his career, but in the last 16 pulled off the biggest win of his career by knocking out defending champion and world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-11 to make absolutely sure of his place in the top 16. Having seen off Ryan Day again in the last eight it looked like he might suffer a hammering himself at the hands of John Higgins as he fell 13-3 behind after the first two sessions. In the end though he put up a brilliant fight and showed that as well as being a talented player, he has guts and a tremendous level of self-belief which at one point allowed him to reduce his arrears to just three frames.