Champion of Champions 2023: Mark Allen cruises into semi-finals following crushing victory over Ali Carter
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Updated 14/11/2023 at 09:31 GMT
After a convincing win over Jimmy White, Mark Allen confirmed his escape from Group Four at the Champion of Champions tournament with a 6-2 win over Ali Carter. The world No. 4 was comfortable throughout the match and despite a tournament-high clearance of 143 from Carter, wrapped up his win in eight frames. Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the tournament.
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Mark Allen followed up his earlier win over Jimmy White by easing past Ali Carter 6-2 to escape Group Four and reach the Champion of Champions semi-finals for a sixth time.
The UK Championship holder dropped just three frames across both matches on Monday, having beaten White 4-2 despite going a frame behind, and is the first player to book his spot in the last four.
Allen feels his game has improved of late, but knows there is still work to do.
"Things were much better after a nervy start against Jimmy earlier," Allen told ITV Sport after his victory over Carter. "I got a bit lucky in there, which is what you need.
“I think that's been going against me this season, but I got it there. Those sorts of performances have been few and far between, I feel like I've turned a corner in the last few weeks, but I'm still not where I want to be."
The world No. 4 enjoyed a dream start with a break of 135 to get the ball rolling in the opening quarter-final.
He took a measured approach to the opening frame and showed real quality to pick off a tricky brown and yellow, before tidying up the remaining colours to edge ahead in the race to six.
Allen caught a break during a tactical second frame when he came close to pulling off a brave double attempt, which left the red hanging over the middle left pocket after clipping the white, which rolled nicely behind the brown.
Carter couldn’t convert the follow-up shot and after a miss on the brown he attempted to meet with a cut-in on the green, Allen returned to the table to polish off another decisive clearance for a two-frame cushion.
He continued to dominate with his third century of the day, adding to the one he produced in his earlier Group Four match against White, to open up a three-frame lead.
Carter was finally on the board in the final frame before the interval, hitting back with two half-centuries to halt Allen’s damaging progress.
But it was more of the same for Allen after the interval, who stepped up with a break of 108 to open up a three-frame lead.
The Northern Ireland star marched towards a spot in the last four when he wrapped up the sixth frame to take a 5-1 lead, but Carter hit back remarkably to knock in a stunning tournament-high clearance of 143 to stay in the match.
With the deficit back to three and Allen still within a frame of victory, a close affair followed.
Allen took his time on a tricky red, bunched up over the bottom left pocket, which he missed, but fortunately didn’t leave Carter with much on.
The chaser could only play a safety shot with the yellow and Allen was in, clearing up to 98 to confirm his spot in the last four.
Allen moves on to the semi-finals, where he will play either Zhang Anda, John Higgins or Chris Wakelin for a spot in Sunday’s final.
Ronnie O'Sullivan was a potential opponent but pulled out due to "mentally feeling a bit drained and stressed".
The Champion of Champions continues on Tuesday when world No. 3 Luca Brecel takes on European Masters champion Barry Hawkins, and British Open winner Mark Williams faces Welsh Open holder Robert Milkins.
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