Quick off the Mark with a 146
FLYING Mark Allen fired a warning shot to his title rivals at the Players Championship.
The Pistol fired in the highest break in the history of the event, a matchopening 146, en route to a fine 6-3 victory over threetime world champion Mark Williams at the elite 16-man tournament in Telford.
It was the fifth 146 of the Antrim potter’s career, and kicked off a super spell of scoring with three centuries on the spin.
And after he booked a quarter-final place, the world No.3 said: “That’s the best I’ve played since winning the Champion of Champions.
“I played really well there to win that, but that’s the best I’ve played since.
“There was a match at the English Open where I made four centuries, but even then I didn’t feel completely in control of the cueball.
“But I felt like I knew where everything was going out there and that’s a good sign.
“If it wasn’t for a slightly misjudged cannon in frame four it could have been four [in a row].
“It was a great way to start. But before you knew it I was in a game again at 4-3.”
Breaks of 146, 112 and 102 opened up a commanding 3-0 lead.
But Allen allowed his vastly experienced opponent in when he broke down on 45 as Williams reduced his arrears with a 71 run.
Welshman Williams won two of the next three frames, either side of an Allen break of 94, to close to 4-3 but Allen booked his last-eight spot with 70 and 68 runs.
“You could see it in the fourth frame that he wasn’t leaving the table until it was 3-1 at the interval because you know matches can turn quickly,” added Allen, who will face last week’s Welsh Open winner Gary Wilson.
“I played two good frames there to finish and I’m pleased with my performance.”