"I felt so nervous": Mark Allen comments on missing out on potential 'Golden Ball' opportunity during win against Mark Selby at Riyadh Season Snooker Championship

The Antrim man was on a break of 65 and if he had completed the maximum, it would have given him the opportunity to pot the 20-point ‘golden ball’, which sits on the bottom cushion for as long as a maximum break is possible.

The feat has yet to be achieved in the second edition of the event and is worth an eye-catching £790k ($1million) - an amount doubled from last year's tournament.

After a fluked black, Allen looked on course to have a crack at the whooping prize but broke down on 65, with Selby going on to steal the frame.

The world number five put that behind him to level at 2-2 and then compiled scores of 76 and 75 to get over the line.

"The one in the third frame, I felt so, so nervous," Allen told World Snooker Tour's social media platforms.

"When I fluked the black after missing, I thought 'is this maybe meant to be'?

"Especially because the black I missed brought the awkward red off the cushion and suddenly they are all there - apart from the two below the pink.

"I just got a bit excited and took my eye off the next black.

"I'd have loved to have potted a few more and just see how I would've handled the pressure late on because I was really nervous as it was on 65.

"Mark does what Mark does and clears up which put me under pressure at 2-1."

Allen faces seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan on Friday, with Luca Brecel meeting Mark Williams in the other semi-final clash.