Mark Allen missed a straightforward black ball that would have secured his place in the World Snooker Championship final, ultimately losing 17-16 to Wu Yize in one of the most dramatic semi-finals in Crucible history on Saturday night.
Missed Black Proves Costly
The 40-year-old from Antrim had the match under control when he reached the 32nd frame, needing only the black off its spot to seal a 17-15 victory. However, he rattled the pocket, handing Wu an unexpected opportunity to level the scores at 16-16 and force a tense decider in front of a raucous Sheffield crowd.
Allen initially composed himself, building a 47-point lead in the final frame, but an unlucky split on the reds left him out of position. The nerveless 22-year-old Wu capitalised with a brilliant 71 clearance to win 17-16 and set up a final against Shaun Murphy on Sunday and Monday.
Allen's Reaction
A shell-shocked Allen told BBC Sport: "You don't deserve to be in a world final if you're missing balls like that. It was just pure pressure, to be honest. Even though I'm devastated to lose that match, I think the right person's in the final. The way he plays is great for the game—he scores heavily and pots some ridiculous long balls. He's going to win many world titles."
Saturday's final two sessions provided a stunning antidote to Friday night's notorious 100-minute frame, which former champion Steve Davis had called an "embarrassment." Allen consistently edged one frame clear only to be hauled back by the free-scoring Chinese player, who drilled long reds and seemed almost impervious to pressure.
The pivotal moment appeared to arrive in frame 30 when Wu missed a simple red to the middle, allowing Allen to move to 16-14. But Wu fought back irresistibly, forcing the dramatic conclusion.
Murphy Rallies Past Higgins
Earlier, Shaun Murphy overturned a two-frame deficit twice in the final session against John Higgins, dredging up his best form to defeat the 50-year-old Scot 17-15. Their clash seemed destined for a decider until Higgins missed a black on a break of 50, gifting Murphy the chance to close out the match at the second attempt.
Murphy told the BBC: "I just came out today knowing if I got my chances I could score. At the interval I was saying to myself, 'You've done it before, now you can do it again.' But John Higgins—what a player and what a man. The harder it gets out there, the tougher he gets and the better he plays. If I'm half the player when I'm in my 50s, I'll be very proud."
Resuming the final session 13-11 behind, Murphy started with two total clearances to level, only for Higgins to win the next two and restore his lead. Murphy's fourth century of the match sparked another surge after the interval, and as Higgins began to miss easy balls, the 43-year-old Murphy won the last four frames in succession to confirm victory.
Higgins paid tribute: "The way Shaun hit the ball in that session was incredible. He just hits it like God. I'm disappointed, but what can you do? As you get older, your action starts to go a little at the most extreme points of the match, but take nothing away—Shaun was awesome, and he's got a great chance of going on to win it for a second time."
