In the quarter-finals of the MrQ Masters, Mark Allen had an unforgettable evening at Alexandra Palace. He scored a 147 and won a tense decider against Mark Selby, triumphing 6-5. In the third frame, Allen made several excellent shots, including a difficult pink and black, to keep his hopes of a perfect run alive. After he sank the final ball, the crowd erupted in cheers, though Allen still trailed Selby 2-1. However, Selby then won two frames in a row, including a break of 82, to go up 4-1. Allen rallied, though, and breaks of 56 and 103 helped him claw his way back to 4-3. In a marathon eighth frame that lasted 45 minutes, Allen eventually won to tie the match at 4-4. He then won five frames in a row, but Selby fought back to force a decider at 5-5. In the final frame, Allen made a run of 51 before missing a red and allowing Selby to edge back into the game. After a safety exchange, Allen cleared the table with 23 to win the match and set up a semi-final showdown with Ali Carter. This marks Allen’s first success at Alexandra Palace since he won the title in 2018, and he’s now just two wins away from his third piece of Triple Crown silverware. Despite the pressure of the match, Allen felt calm in the final frame and was thrilled to play in front of a big crowd.
