Mark Allen makes brutal admission after Wu Yize defeat | Other | Sport

A ‘devastated’ Mark Allen endured Crucible heartbreak as he fell to defeat against Wu Yize in a nail-biting final frame decider in the World Championship semi-final.

The Northern Irishman appeared destined for his first-ever world final appearance after surging into a 16-14 lead in the first to 17 clash against Wu.

Allen potted the final pink in the penultimate frame of the evening and was left with a straightforward black ball on the spot to seal his place in the final. Yet the immense weight of the occasion appeared to overwhelm him as he narrowly missed, handing his Chinese rival the frame on a plate.

Wu then seized his opportunity in the decisive 33rd frame to secure a final showdown with England’s Shaun Murphy, the Crucible champion in 2005.

For Allen, it represents yet another agonising near-miss – his third semi-final exit at the Crucible – and that black on the spot will undoubtedly torment him for a considerable time to come, reports BelfastLive.

“You don’t deserve to be in a world final if you are missing a ball like that, it’s just pure pressure,” said Allen right after the match. “I had two or three good chances to close out the match but didn’t do it.

“Even though I’m devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the world final. I wished him good luck, said he played very well. I think he’s going to be a world champion.

“All credit to Wu, if he doesn’t win it this time, he is going to win world titles in future. It’s a sore one for me.” Wu, 22, will compete in his maiden world final tomorrow, aiming to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Zhao Xintong who became the first Chinese player to claim snooker’s greatest prize 12 months ago.

Even he expressed sympathy for Allen, given the manner of his semi-final triumph.

Wu told BBC: “I feel sorry for Mark. I was losing the match but I was able to catch the opportunity.”

The final is contested over two days, commencing on Sunday and concluding on Monday.