BBC presenter Hazel Irvine issued a live on-air apology to Mark Allen during the World Snooker Championship final, after a montage of the tournament's standout moments replayed his costly missed black against Wu Yize. The miss, which would have secured a 17-15 semi-final victory for Allen, instead gifted the frame to Wu, who went on to win the decider 17-16.
Speaking during the interval of the Shaun Murphy vs Wu final, Irvine said: 'I still cannot watch Mark Allen's missed black, I am really sorry Mark. But the grace in which he took that was extraordinary, wasn't it?' Former champion John Parrott added: 'If you are watching pal, I am still hurting for you. I have never seen anything like it.'
Allen, reflecting on the defeat, admitted: 'You don't deserve to be in the world final if you're missing balls like that. That was just pure pressure to be honest. I just threw a quick one in, I genuinely did. I just didn't deliver the cue properly and I got what I deserved.' He praised Wu, saying: 'I think he's going to be a world champion.'
Wu, 22, moved within five frames of becoming the second youngest world champion in history after withstanding a Murphy fightback in the final. Despite losing the first five frames of the afternoon session, he rallied to win the final three and regain a 13-12 lead.
