Allen breezes past Doherty in Welsh opener
Mark Allen in action against Neil Robertson (left) during The Masters 2012 at Alexandra Palace, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday January 17, 2012. See PA story SNOOKER London. Photo credit should read: Rebecca Naden/PA Wire
ANTRIM snooker ace Mark Allen says he and Dubliner Ken Doherty are trying to bury the hatchet after years of disliking each other, WRITES GARY BAKER.
The two players have not been the best of friends for personal reasons and have not been drawn together in a ranking tournament for a while.
But that ended when they met in the Welsh Open first round in Newport, Wales, yesterday, with 25-year-old Allen taking just 51 minutes to complete a 4-0 whitewash of the ex-world champion.
Doherty scored just two points in the final three frames as world ranked Allen dominated.
It was an even better victory for the Ulsterman as he was suffering an infected, inflamed finger on his cue hand, caused by a germ getting in through a split in his nail for which he is on antibiotics.
World Championships semi-finalist Allen explained that the ice between him and Doherty is now thawing slightly, saying: “Everyone knows that seen eye-to-eye in the past but things are better. We pass each other now and say ‘hello’ so it is not as bad as what it was.”
He now plays seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry, who pulled off a superb first round victory over former global king Neil Robertson in the first round, this afternoon.
And he hopes his finger will have eased by then. Allen added: “It did not seem so bad on the practice table but it was a bit different out there with a bit of pressure on me.
“There were a few shots that it really did hurt on. It is not too bad now, just red at the top of the finger, so I’m just happy to get through and give it a bit more rest.
“The first frame or two could have been different because Ken missed a couple of easy shots. I didn’t want to use it as an excuse but it is what it is and I have to get on with it and try my hardest.
“I had a little rag nail and thought I’d pull it off. I must have got a bit of dirt in it then which caused the infection. So I didn’t do too bad, considering.”
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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