Allen Keeps Winning Streak Going
Masters champion Mark Allen booked his place in the final stages of the China Open with a 6-4 defeat of Allan Taylor on Monday night.
Northern Ireland’s Allen enjoyed the best moment of his career earlier this month when he beat Kyren Wilson in the Masters final in London.
And he kept his hot streak going by coming out on top in a tough battle against Taylor in Barnsley. Breaks of 86, 127 and 51 helped Allen secure his place in Beijing in April, where a top prize of £225,000 will be up for grabs.
Barry Hawkins was in danger of a shock defeat when he trailed Josh Boileau 3-0, but he hit back to win 6-4 with top runs of 119, 64 and 63.
China’s up-and-coming Lyu Haotian scored an impressive 6-3 win over Ryan Day, making breaks of 75, 64, 118, 66 and 78.
Shaun Murphy pulled away from 3-3 to beat David Grace 6-3, making an 80 in the last frame. Ricky Walden continued his return to form with a 6-2 win over Aditya Mehta.
Chinese teenager Yuan Sijun has scored some fine results during his debut pro season and he edged out Alan McManus 6-5. From 5-3 down, 17-year-old Yuan won the last three frames with top breaks of 57 and 54.
The qualifying round finishes on Tuesday.