Allen: I disrespected event ... I don’t deserve final place

NORTHERN Ireland’s Mark Allen fought back last night to claim a place in the Scottish Open final then said he had “disrespected the tournament”.

Allen had been 4-0 down to Welshman Daniel Wells, but clawed his way back to win 6-5 at the Glasgow event.

However, the world No 6 then said he didn’t deserve his place in the final having indulged in too much drinking.

“I had a couple of drinks at the interval and felt a bit better after it because I was really struggling out there,” he said.

“Last night was the earliest I’ve been to bed and the least I’ve drunk any night [this week]. I expected to feel good today but I felt terrible.

“That’s what I was expecting early in the week because when I came here I said I was going to enjoy myself. I’ve managed to scrape though a few matches. I was all over the place. I’m embarrassed to say I was hung-over and stuff.”

However, the 32-yearold revealed his preparation for the final match was unlikely to involve an early night.

“I could stay in tonight and go to bed early and feel horrendous tomorrow. I would deserve to feel that way for the disrespect I’ve shown to the tournament all week. So I may as well go out and have a good time,” he said.

Allen took the final four frames of the match to clinch the tense semifinal against Wells 6-5.

Last week’s beaten UK Championship finalist Allen could only manage a top break of 24 in the first four frames as he missed a succession of chances.

Wells punished Allen’s poor play as he moved 4-0 ahead, helped by a top break of 56.

However, the Welshman missed a chance to extend his lead as Allen’s run of 55 saw him open his account.

Allen won the next with a 59 break but, with the score at 5-2, Wells, 30, still looked in control until he crucially fouled in the eighth, touching the green with his shirt.

Allen punished the error with a break of 79 and a run of 106 was followed by a 129 clearance in the final frame.

The Northern Irishman’s final opponent will be his good friend Shaun Murphy, who overcame Judd Trump 6-3 in the all-English semifinal.