Matthew Stevens holding a 5-4 lead over Mark Allen – 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship
Matthew Stevens has ended the opening session with a 5-4 lead over Mark Allen in the first round of the 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship, which is being staged at the Crucible
Theatre, Sheffield, England.
It was a cut-throat competition between both players, with an overall score-line of 50-59 (52), 99-14, 53-76 (54), 91-4 (91), 117-9 (86), 39-60, 73-38, 33-78, 42-70.
First chance in the opening frame fell for Allen, but he could only manage a break of 27 and after a safety battle it was Stevens who earned himself a chance to clinch the frame. He compiled
up a classy break of 52 to draw the first blood 1-0.
The Welshman, Stevens, was also the first one to be among the balls, but this time he lost his nerves, breaking down on 14 and when the chance presented itself, the Pistol, Allen, fired
a superb break of 99 to level the things at 1-1. Though the former 2000 and 2005 world championship finalist, Stevens, went back in front by winning the third, he lost the fourth again when his opponent racked up another carving break of 99 in it.
On resuming the game after the mid-session interval, the world number eleven, Allen, again dominated the first frame with an excellent break of 86 to lead for the first time by a frame
score of 2-3. He was also on a run in the following sixth frame, but this time he only could roll in 37 points before going into a safety play. Once again it was the Welsh Dragon, who came on the top of the safety battle to equal the scores at 3-3.
Last three frames were cagey. Allen took the seventh to restore his one frame lead to 3-4, but he lost the next two in a row. Though Stevens didn’t do anything outstanding, he used his
flawless safety skills to take an overnight lead by 5-4.
Let us see if Stevens will continue to maintain his lead in the final session or Allen will try to reconfigure his strategy and clinch the game.
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