'Not to be' - Mark Allen beaten in Scottish Open semi-final but 'really enjoyed' tournament and gifts cue to young fan with 'Merry Christmas' message
Mark Allen’s bid for the Scottish Open title came to an abrupt end on Saturday night in Edinburgh, as he was comprehensively beaten 6-1 by China’s Chang Bingyu in the semi-finals.
Northern Ireland player Allen, the world number 10, found himself on the back foot early on, with Chang rattling in a superb 134 clearance, swiftly followed by a break of 108 to establish a 2-0 lead. The Chinese cueist extended his advantage with a third consecutive frame before Allen managed to stop the rot and get on the scoreboard.
However, Chang proved relentless, stringing together two more half-century breaks to move 5-1 ahead. He then wrapped up a dominant display by taking the seventh frame and booking his place in the final in convincing fashion.
Following his last-16 win over China's Zhang Anda, Allen said he had changed his style of play because he had been “struggling”.
“I have been saying for years that I don't feel you can force playing well by playing fast, but I have been struggling so I just thought I'd play fast and see what happens,” said the Antrim man. “I feel like I am enjoying my snooker a bit more, even though I'm making some mistakes.”
After his semi-final defeat, Allen said that while it wasn’t to be this year, he had enjoyed his run in the tournament and revealed he had gifted his cue to a young supporter.
“Not to be at this years Scottish open,” Allen posted on his X account with a picture of the young fan. “Really enjoyed my week experimenting with a few things. Nice to end the week gifting my cue and case to this young chap. Hope it serves you well. Merry Christmas.”
Chang will play Chris Wakelin in the Scottish Open final on Sunday evening.