Mark Allen produced one of snooker’s greatest comebacks to claim a first UK Championship title late on Sunday night. The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland has been the player of the season by a mile and made it back-to-back ranking wins by beating Chinese superstar Ding Junhui 10-7 in York.
World number nine Allen shed five stone over the summer to try to give himself an extra edge in the biggest tournaments. But in the first Triple Crown major tournament of the campaign the Antrim pro won nine of the last 10 frames to show he is a snooker heavyweight now able to win a world title.
Incredibly Allen, who will today rise to number five in the new overall rankings after pocketing the £250,000 first prize, trailed three-time UK winner Ding 6-1 at one stage in the afternoon session. But, determined not to lose in the final of this event for a third time after defeats to Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan, Allen reeled off seven frames in a row to turn the match on its head.
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Left-hander Allen had already defended his home ranking tournament in Belfast recently, as well as reaching the final of the British Open.
In two of the previous best comebacks in a UK final, Alex Higgins memorably overcame a 7-0 deficit against Steve Davis in 1983 in Preston to run out a 16-15 winner. And in 2010 in Telford John Higgins trailed 9-5 before somehow winning the last five frame for a dramatic 10-9 success.
It was a second major triumph for Allen, who won the Masters by beating Kyren Wilson in the final in 2020. And it is reward both for his diet and fitness regime and also recent work with top sports psychologist Paul Gaffney, who worked with the Irish rugby team among others.
He also spent plenty of time in the final holding a mug of hot water with eyes closed in a zen-like state clearing his sinuses with the steam.
Comeback king Allen had already hit back from behind against Jordan Brown, Kyren Wilson, Sam Craigie and Jack Lisowski in earlier rounds. But it was huge disappointment for Ding, who arrived at the Barbican Centre ranked down at world number 38 after a barren three years, having seen such a big lead disappear. And as well as missing out on a fourth UK title and losing a first final in the event, defeat cost Ding a place in January’s Masters.
From 6-1 down Allen made breaks of 79, 60, 93, 132, 56, 59 and 109. He said afterwards: “It is amazing to be UK champion. I don’t really know how I have done it, I haven’t played that well all week.
“This afternoon I didn’t play well at all, but this evening was completely different and I felt so good once I had got back to 6-6. It is definitely one of my best ever wins.
“I was just trying to stay positive even being that far behind and always looking simply just to win the next frame. To follow Alex Higgins in winning this is special but I want to create my own legacy.”
Ding, who made four century breaks, said: “Mark played very good safety and put me under a lot of pressure. He punished me a lot from coming back 6-2 ahead this evening.
“I am proud of myself not doing anything for three years getting back to the final, and I will just keep practising hard.”
Six-time UK winner and BBC pundit Steve Davis said of the topsy-turvy contest: “It has been a shock how things played out, and one of the strangest finals I have ever seen.”
Meanwhile Neil Robertson will open up the defence of his Masters at Alexandra Palace in January against Shaun Murphy.
The pair have clashed twice in the final of the prestigious invitation tournament reserved for the top 16 players only – and have won one apiece.
Record seven-time winner and world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan will face Belgium’s Luca Brecel in the first round. Judd Trump meets Ryan Day, while John Higgins faces Jack Lisowski.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
