Mark Allen stuns Matthew Stevens, 10-9 – 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship
Mark Allen has beaten Matthew Stevens by a frame score of 10-9 in the first round of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, which is being held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield,
England.
The world’s number seventeen, Matthew Stevens, despite having a 9-6 lead in the second session has fallen down in the last-32. However the world’s number eleven, Mark Allen, on the same
note pulled one of the greatest comebacks to keep his World Championship hopes alive. The overall score-line between both players was 50-59 (52), 99-14, 53-76 (54), 91-4 (91), 117-9 (86), 39-60, 73-38, 33-78, 42-70, 47-67, 67-10, 0-74 (68), 35-69 (69), 2-67
(54), 28-69, 103-14 (103), 60-59, 64-29 and 91-26.
The opening two frames in the session were scrappy and were shared by both players before the Welsh Dragon, Stevens, racked up his highest break of the match, 68, in the third frame to
lead 7-5. However, the twenty-five-year-old, Allen, also bounced back with a decisive break of 63 in the following fourth to come within one frame before the interval at 7-6.
On resuming the match it was the thirty-three-year-old Welshman, Stevens, who dominated the first two frames in a row to leave his opponent down by three frames with four to play, 9-6.
He mopped up a frame-winning break of 54 in the fourteenth frame before winning the fifteenth after a bout of safety play.
The match was almost through, as Stevens only needed one more frame to kill the match but everyone was left flabbergasted when the Northern Ireland’s professional, Allen, bounced back
into the game, with all of zeal energy and strength, and won all of the following four frames to pull a shocking win.
Allen, who was toiling his rhythm, out of the blue fired a magnificent century break of 103 in the sixteenth frame and then he also won the following seventeenth and eighteenth after a
battle of safety to force the decider, 9-9.
It was thrilling final frame, as the chances were seen coming and going with the reds all over the table. However, it was again Allen in the end that held his nerves to secure a place
in the next round. Mark Allen will now meet Barry Hawkins in the last-16.
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