LONG READ: Mark Allen believes a mental toughness and fitness regime can help him win more of snooker's big prizes as he begins defence of the UK Championship

The 37-year-old has completed two-thirds of the game's Triple Crown events after winning the Masters in 2018, before lifting the UK Championship against Ding Junhui last year.

That means fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming World Champion at the Crucible remains outstanding to become only the 12th player to win all three of snooker's prestigious tournaments.

Allen, who is a nine-time ranking event winner, outlined that his game is in the "right direction" to add to those two major successes in the near future.

“Judd Trump won 11 ranking events in two seasons, which is crazy. I’d love to do something like that. But I think in 20, 30 or 40 years, people won’t remember the Gibraltar Open champion. They are going to remember who won the UK Championship, the World Championship and the Masters," he said.

"Unfortunately for Judd, that is the way things are. People will remember the major winners. He has won four and I’ve only won two, so he is doing better than me. Ronnie has won 21 and that is the ultimate goal we all have to get to.

"I’ve won a lot of tournaments over the last 12 years, but ultimately you are going to be judged on those bigger titles. I’d only won the Masters before winning the UK Championship.

"It was great to get a second on the board, but I’m going to keep pushing for more. Getting that Triple Crown and winning the World Championship would be massive. I’m definitely going in the right direction, which is what you want to do in your career.”

However, Allen's full focus is on defending his UK Championship which starts today in a repeat of last year's final against three-time champion Ding, who battled through qualifying to reach York.

In that final, Allen faced a 6-1 deficit against the Chinese star, but finished the tournament in a blaze of glory by taking nine of the last ten frames to win 10-7.

The world number four comes into the tournament full of confidence after lifting the Champion of Champions title with a 10-3 win against in-form Judd Trump last Sunday.

The victory was the Antrim man's first title of the season and his exploits in Bolton helped him receive a cheque for £150,000.

Allen remarked that a lot of that success can come down to decisions made in the summer of 2022 as he underwent both a weight loss regime, as well as working with sport psychologist Paul Gaffney.

It was a new level of mental toughness which Allen particularly believes helped him claim the UK title.

“Anything that will give you positive energy could make the difference,” he added.

“Not everyone shows signs of nerves but there are some who do. Even the top players show signs. It is good to pick that up and have any sort of positive energy going forward in the match. It is a tough game out there and you need to use everything you can.

“The psychological side was so important for me in York last year. I was two or more frames behind in every single match that week. I didn’t have my best stuff and I was always behind and fighting against it.

"I hung in there and gave myself a chance. I was well behind against Ding in the final but I played my best stuff of the week in the latter stages of that match. It is a great sign to produce your best when you need it the most.

“No matter how far behind you are, the question to ask yourself is ‘can I win the next frame?’ Ultimately the answer is always yes. If you keep doing that then you keep slowly getting back into the match.

"When I got back from 6-1 to 6-4 against Ding, I really fancied the job. I felt I’d turned a corner in the game and he started to miss a few. I was patient and didn’t get too far ahead of myself.”

Allen has a chance to become only the fourth player, after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan, to win the UK Championship in consecutive years.

He continued: "I’ve defended tournaments twice in the past. I know I can do it. I will just focus on my game, enjoy it and see where it takes me. Going there as defending champion should take pressure off as I’ve already done it.

“It will be a special feeling. That is what we play the game for, to win these major tournaments and to be introduced the following year as defending champion. Going out there in packed arenas live on TV. That is what we want to do. It is only the second time I’ll have done it in a major and hopefully there will be more to come.”

Elsewhere, seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan also faces a tough opener against Anthony McGill, who like Ding, fought his way through the qualifiers on Wednesday.

It will be only the second meeting between the pair since their epic clash in the last 16 of the 2021 World Championship, when McGill clinched victory in the deciding frame.

Trump, whose run of three straight titles was brought to an end by Allen last week, will begin his campaign for a second UK crown against Pang Junxu.

The opening round on Saturday also sees Mark Williams face Fan Zhengyi, Tom Ford vs Noppon Saengkham and Kyren Wilson against Jamie Clarke.

Furthermore, on Sunday, world champion Luca Brecel has a meeting against Yuan Sijun, there's an all-English affair between Ali Carter and Matthew Selt, International Champion Zhang Anda will face Elliot Slessor, whilst Shaun Murphy goes up against Iran's Hossein Vafaei.

As Trump starts his UK Championship bid on Monday, Barry Hawkins faces Ben Woollaston, Jack Lisowski is up against Jamie Jones and Mark Selby gets his campaign under way against Mark Joyce.

The first round is completed on Tuesday as John Higgins meets Joe O'Connor, Robert Milkins is up against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Neil Robertson faces Zhou Yuelong, with O'Sullivan also in action on the baize against McGill.