Mark Allen advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Snooker Championship but voiced concerns about the tournament schedule, arguing that it puts players at a disadvantage.
Allen secured his place in the last four for the third time in his career after edging out Barry Hawkins 13–11 in a gripping and high-quality quarter-final. Their contest, particularly the second session, showcased snooker of an exceptional standard.
However, instead of getting a rest period typical in earlier rounds both players were required to return the following morning for the next session. A similar issue affected Wu Yize and Hossein Vafaei, who had to complete two sessions on the same day.
This format has long been in place to satisfy broadcasting demands, ensuring that at least one match concludes in each session. While Allen acknowledged the reasoning, he questioned its fairness from a competitive standpoint, noting that players are forced into quick turnarounds despite other scheduling options.
The match itself lived up to expectations, with little separating Allen and Hawkins throughout. Hawkins, aiming for another Crucible semi-final, started strongly but found himself level at 8–8 after a thrilling second session. In a tense decider phase, Allen held his nerve better to close out the win.
Reflecting on the match, Allen admitted he felt more relief than anything, especially given what he described as poor fortune during key moments. Despite that, he was pleased with his resilience and ability to stay competitive. He also noted that while some had criticised the table conditions, he felt it played well early on, though it became heavier and trickier later.
For Hawkins, the defeat was particularly frustrating. A costly error late in the match an attempted safety that fell short opened the door for Allen to clinch victory. He acknowledged that missed chances ultimately proved decisive, despite the overall quality of the encounter, and praised Allen’s clinical finishing.
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