Mark Allen hits the drink to power past Zhang Anda at Crucible
Mark Allen revealed how “bad food” and a few drinks fuelled his surge into the second round of the World Snooker Championship after he swallowed up a two-frame overnight deficit to crush Zhang Anda 10-6 at the Crucible.
The Antrim 40-year-old was so disillusioned with his display on Saturday, when he failed to rustle up a break over 50, that he set about drowning his sorrows in Sheffield – and returned to rifle three centuries in a six-frame streak to reach the last 16.
Allen said: “After the match yesterday I had a few drinks, I got a burger. I just thought I can’t play any worse than I played yesterday. I was so down on myself that I didn’t really want to talk to anyone after that session.
“So I went and had a few drinks, watched the football, had a few bets with my mates, a bit of bad food, and I slept really well last night and slept better today. I just felt like I’d been doing things so well, to play that bad I was gutted.”
Allen, a two-time Crucible semi-finalist, returned to share the first two frames with his Chinese opponent before belatedly discovering his rhythm. A 140 clearance followed by a break of 109 hauled him back level and handed him the initiative for the first time.
Zhang, a former ranking event winner who had blazed through qualifying, began to look uncharacteristically frustrated and Allen capitalised, seizing on a desperate safety error to go in front for the first time then extending his lead to go 8-6 in front.
With Zhang plainly wilting, Allen summoned his third century of the day with a break of 129, then wrapped up an ultimately convincing victory in a manner far removed from yesterday’s session which he branded “embarrassing”.
Allen, who punched the air once victory was complete, added: “I want to be world champion. It would be a disappointing career for me if I look back on my career and hadn’t won it. That’s why I was so frustrated yesterday.”
Frustration also got the better of another former semi-finalist, David Gilbert, after a one-sided opening session against Ding Junhui left the Chinese player in full control at 7-2 in front ahead of Monday morning’s conclusion.
Gilbert thumped the side of the table with his cue as he was outclassed by Ding, who struck a century and four more breaks of 50 to move within three frames of booking a second-round meeting with his compatriot, defending champion Zhao Xintong.