Snooker
New World No.1 Mark Allen Ready to Challenge O'Sullivan's Reign at Shanghai Masters
Mark Allen is poised for a strong start at the Shanghai Masters, his first tournament as the world No.1. Determined to win his first title in Shanghai, Allen is prepared to challenge Ronnie O’Sullivan’s dominance and capture the prestigious £210,000 top prize.
Image Credit: World Snooker Tour (WST)
Mark Allen is ready to hit the ground running at the Shanghai Masters.
The prestigious invitational event, which boasts a tasty top prize of £210,000, will be the first tournament for the Northern Irish potter since becoming world No.1.
Chasing the Shanghai Crown
The Pistol is desperate to land a maiden trophy in the city after the heartache of being hammered 10-3 by Stuart Bingham in the 2014 showpiece.
He will be bidding to end Ronnie O’Sullivan’s dominance at the event with the Rocket having pocketed the title on three successive occasions.
“It’s been a long time coming,” admitted Allen, after being asked how it feels to finally be at the rankings summit.
“It was a career goal of mine so I’m very happy to get there and it’s up to me to keep working hard and to stay there as long as possible,” he told SportsBoom.com.
Image Credit: World Snooker Tour (WST)
Embracing the World No.1 Ranking
“It would be nice to win my first tournament as world number one at the Shanghai Masters.”
“I want to win it. It’s a tournament I’ve never won. I made the final in 2014.”
“It’s my favourite tournament out of all the China events.”
“It’s a tournament I really want to do well in and get my hands on the trophy.”
I headed out early to try and acclimatise to conditions and try to get my sleeping pattern to China time as well.
Mark Allen
Early Preparation for Success
Allen hit the practice table earlier than usual this summer ahead of the first big event of the season, and he arrived in Shanghai on Saturday, despite not playing in the last 16 until Wednesday, to acclimatise to the conditions.
“It’s come a little bit early for me,” added the Antrim ace.
“I usually take a big break after the World Championship so I’m not usually that sharp this time of year.”
“But I started back practicing a lot earlier than usual because I want to do well in Shanghai.”
“I don’t want to go to one of the biggest tournaments of the year underprepared.”
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve practiced really hard and I’m ready to go.”
Excitement for High-Pressure Matches
“I’ve always enjoyed my matches with Ding in Shanghai. Obviously, he brings the crowds - I’ve beaten him a couple of times as well.”
“Playing Ding in China is like playing Ronnie O’Sullivan in the UK. There’s a bit more surrounding the game, a bit more pressure.”
“I love that. That’s what you play for. You want to play in the biggest arenas, the biggest matches and that’s what playing Ding in China is like.”
The Prestige of the Invitational Event
Allen is relishing the invitational event, which comprises the top 16 and local wildcards.
“I think the top players have really separated themselves over the last 10 to 20 years,” said Allen.
“When you see the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams they should really be coming to the end of their careers, but they’re not.”
“It’s great for Shanghai because it’s like a second Masters because it’s the absolute best players in the world.”
“These are the types of events you want to play in because any match is capable of being a final in any other tournament.”
“It takes the very best to win it and that’s obviously why Ronnie’s won it so many times.”
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
While snooker is where many readers know him best, cricket is his true sporting passion, though he tends to keep that side of him separate from his professional beat.
A staunch traditionalist, he’s unlikely to share your enthusiasm if you believe The Hundred is the future of Test cricket.