‘I enjoy going on the vodka’: party animal Mark Allen on world title quest

Mark Allen is adamant partying still has its place as he continues his quest for a maiden world snooker title at the Crucible on Saturday.

The 38-year-old from Antrim launched a dramatic health drive that led him to shed more than six stone in the last two years, and has been rewarded by a handful of ranking titles and a surge to third in the world rankings – and potentially to No 1 at the end of this tournament.

But before his second-round clash with John Higgins, which starts on Saturday afternoon, night owl Allen stressed the need to continue striking a balance as he aims to plot a path to the final for the first time.

“Just because you’re going out partying doesn’t mean you’re not dedicated and applying yourself to the sport,” Allen said. “I think in the past I probably didn’t get the balance quite right, and it’s about doing things at the right times, because you’ve got to have a life away from snooker.

“I still enjoy a night out with my friends. I probably don’t do it as often as I did, but when I do, I make up for it. I enjoy having a few shots and going on the vodka, but I never do it too close to a tournament now, and that’s the difference.”

Allen, who reached the semi-finals last year – only his second appearance in the one-table set-up after a series of early-round disappointments – revealed he was convinced to change his mindset after a painful 13-4 second-round defeat to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2022.

That loss coincided with a period of turmoil in his private life, after divorcing his then wife in 2020, and declaring himself bankrupt the following year despite career earnings in excess of £3.5m.

Allen added: “Ronnie wasn’t playing anywhere near his best and he still brushed me aside, and I had to ask myself whether I wanted to be that player who came back here and didn’t challenge.

“It’s been deflating coming here so many times and underperforming, because I know I’ve got the game to win it. I’ve tried so many things and so far none of them have worked, but I feel like I’ve improved things in recent years and I’ve come into the tournament this year on a whole new level.”

Judd Trump is two frames away from a return to the quarter-finals after pulling away from Tom Ford to establish an 11-5 overnight lead. Leading 7-2 after Thursday’s opening session, the third seed took the first frame on Friday before Ford spurned a strong chance of this year’s first Crucible maximum, running aground on 73 after 10 reds and nine blacks.

Trump capitalised on a series of errors from Ford to ease further clear and at one stage looked capable of winning the match with a session to spare, before the 14th seed rallied and took the final frame of the day with a break of 83.

David Gilbert dispatched Robert Milkins 13-4 to become the first player through to the quarter-finals, and revealed a rigorous fitness regime is behind his push to reach the last four for the first time since 2019.

Leading 12-4 after Friday’s morning session, Gilbert required just 17 minutes to complete his victory over the 16th seed, who was hampered by a recurring back injury and showed the extent of his frustration by hurling his cue after missing a simple red in the 12th frame.

“The lesson I learned from when I got to the semi-final was you have to be as fit as possible,” said Gilbert. “I’m using my time wisely, eating properly and the right things. I’m hitting the gym, pure weights and just trying to lift as heavy as I can. I’m going to smash the gym and keep eating the right stuff.”

Stephen Maguire battled to a 5-3 overnight lead against the 2005 winner, Shaun Murphy, while Jak Jones carved a 9-7 advantage over Si Jiahui, a surprise semi-finalist last year, after a poor quality second session of their second-round match. Jones, the lowest ranked player left in the tournament at No 44, is looking to reach the quarter-finals for the second year in a row.