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 semifinals in Crucible history. The 40-year-old from Antrim had the match under control when he needed only the black off its spot to win 17-15, but he rattled the pocket, allowing Wu to level at 16-16 and force a tense decider.
A Night of High Drama
In front of a raucous Sheffield crowd, Allen initially shook off his nightmare, building a 47-point lead in the final frame. However, an unlucky split on the reds left him out of position, and the nerveless Wu Yize, aged 22, produced a brilliant 71 clearance to seal a 17-16 victory. The win sets up a final against Shaun Murphy, scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
A visibly 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."
Thrilling Sessions
Saturday's final two sessions provided a stark contrast to the notoriously slow 100-minute frame on Friday night, which former champion Steve Davis had called an "embarrassment." The match featured two swift re-racks, with Allen consistently taking a one-frame lead only to be pulled back by the free-scoring Chinese player, who drilled long reds and appeared unfazed by the mounting pressure.
The pivotal moment seemed to arrive in frame 30 when Wu missed a simple red to the middle pocket, allowing Allen to move to the verge of victory at 16-14. But Wu fought back irresistibly, forcing the dramatic conclusion.
Murphy Battles Past Higgins
Earlier, Shaun Murphy overturned a two-frame deficit twice in the final session against John Higgins, dredging up his best form to beat the 50-year-old Scot 17-15. The match seemed destined for a decider until Higgins missed a black on a break of 50, handing Murphy the chance to clinch victory 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 just 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."
Murphy's Fightback
Resuming the final session 13-11 behind, Murphy started in scintillating fashion with two total clearances to level the match. Higgins then chiseled out the next two frames to restore his two-frame lead. But Murphy's fourth century of the match sparked another surge after the interval. As Higgins began to miss easy balls, the 43-year-old Murphy went into overdrive, winning the last four frames in succession to confirm victory.
Higgins paid tribute to Murphy, saying: "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 bit 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."
