The last Irishman at the Crucible Mark Allen has crashed out by the most slender of margins to Scotland’s Graeme Dott at 13-12.
When the 24 year-old from Antrim began the match yesterday morning he immediately went 4-0 up to stun Dott, but you can never write the Scot off who put in a dogged display yesterday in both sessions to see them return to this morning’s final session tied at 8-8.
It took Allen a while to get going this morning as Dott won the opening two, but the Northern Irishman then responded in smashing fashion to level again at 10-10 coming into the mid-session interval.
You could hear a pin drop in the packed Sheffield arena as Allen picked up where he left off – and after coming from 10-8 behind he went 12-10 in front.
But yet again, Dott’s resilience paid off and when he hits a good streak it is extremely difficult to knock him off course.
He didn’t stray from the path he wanted to take and pulled it level again to set up a deciding frame. Allen looked nervy as both shook hands and Dott gained a grip on the frame with immediate effect and poor Allen didn’t get a look in – but he can certainly go home with his head held high.
In this morning’s other match Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter are level at 8-8, and at 2.30 Steve Davis has a mountain to climb as he trails Neil Robertson 12-4, and Ronnie O’Sullivan is level with Mark Selby at 4-4.
