Mark Allen ousts Barry Hawkins in a final frame thriller – World Snooker Championship 2011
The Pistol, Mark Allen, has beaten Barry Hawkins by a frame score of 13-12, in the best-of-25 second round match of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
It was yet another brilliant performance from Mark Allen, as he once again fought back superbly from 3-7 behind, to go in front. Hawkins was unfortunate to hit the blue ball off the break, in the final deciding break.
The overall score-line between both players was 52-71, 72-56, 1-71, 70-57, 64-69, 62-35, 0-77, 6-64, 23-61, 54-58, 59-49, 77-34, 80-0, 114-10, 119-7, 78-38, 68-22, 13-75, 51-63, 129-0, 97-0, 1-80, 7-117, 0-93 and 96-0.
The twenty-five-year-old was trailing his opponent 3-7 before he bounced back into the game. Hawkins then forced the decider, after he was left down by three frames with four to play at 12-9. Despite the odds, Hawkins clawed back and won all the three frames
to level the match at 12-12.
In the final frame, however, Hawkins was unlucky, as he ran off into the blue off his break. It was probably his worst break off ever and he was punished for it, as Allen fired up a mind-boggling break of 96 to finish the match in style. He attempted a 147,
but unfortunately rattled a long red around the jaws of the green pocket.
The World Number eleven, Allen, after the victory said, “I've never been so happy to see someone hit a blue off the break and give me a chance, because in a deciding frame that's all you're wanting. Luckily I knocked the red in and made a good break.”
Hawkins, on the same note was disappointed over his performance and said, “It was a horrible way to go out. I gave Mark a chance and he made a great break.”
Mark Allen has now set up a potential clash with Mark Williams in the quarter-final of the championship. The match is sure to be an interesting one, as both players will be looking to capitalise on the momentum they have gained from their past matches.
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