Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
What’s the point in letting the audience sit there and watch me miss more?
ALLEN HAS NO REGRETS AFTER GP WALKOUT
ANGRY Mark Allen revealed he had absolutely no regrets after staging a bizarre World Grand Prix walkout.
Off-colour Allen strangely conceded his best-of-seven encounter with Ali Carter at 3-1 down and still in with a chance at 24-2, with 125 points remaining, behind at Cheltenham Racecourse.
The Northern Irish potter was far from his best and was visibly frustrated after missing a host of chances.
Emotions boiled over after missing a yellow, and going in-off. Allen moved the yellow with his hand and turned to Carter to shockingly concede the match.
World No6 Allen landed himself in hot water and faces a fine for conceding a frame when mathematically able to win in.
Allen slammed the table as “disgusting” and admitted he could have smashed his cue as he lost his cool.
This season’s International Championship and Scottish Open winner said: “I don’t regret it at all, I don’t regret much of what I’ve done over the years at all.
“I was just extremely frustrated with a lot of things.
“What’s the point in letting the audience sit there and watch me miss more and more?
“I just thought I’d get out of there and get ready for the next one. It’s just one of those things, it’s out of character and it’s just how I felt today.
“I was struggling with conditions. It was so hard to move the white and you get frustrated. You look over to table two and it looks like it’s playing beautifully and it’s annoying.
“Table one was pretty disgusting to play on and I just wanted out of there.
“Ali will probably say he struggled with conditions too. He just handled them better mentally than I did.
“I could have smashed my cue up, I was just really frustrated with how the match was going.
“It’s not the end of the world, it’s only a snooker match. I’ll get home and see my family for a few days before Cardiff [Welsh Open] next week.”
Th e incident sparked comparisons with Ronnie O’sullivan who f amously walked out of his 2006 UK Championship quarter-final clash with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.
Judd Trump also petulantly smashed the reds to concede against Stuart Carrington at the 2017 Northern Ireland Open.
O ppon ent Car t er was stunned by Allen’s antics. The two-time World Championship runner-up said: “We all make mistakes. We all get frustrated because this sport is your life and you get so entrenched with it.
“I read something the other day about Sergio Garcia hacking up a green after landing in a bunker.
“You wonder why, but it’s because we all care so much and the sport is our life.
“It doesn’t make it an excuse, but it gives a reason.”