GLOBAL SNOOKER NEWS

MARK ALLEN fulfilled his huge potential in style, winning the IBSF World Championship with an 11-6 win over the 2002 Champion, Steve Mifsud, from Australia.

Mifsud set the tone for a high quality match with a thrilling 135 total clearance in the opening frame of the day. Allen shook the sleep out of his eyes and responded with a three frame burst, including breaks of 63 and 54 to gain an early 3-1 advantage.

The next four frames were shared, as Mifsud sealed the fifth and seventh with breaks of 61 and 47. Allen countered with useful efforts of 46 and 34, maintaining his two frame buffer with a black ball success in the eighth frame.

Seeking to close the gap before the end of the session, Mifsud smashed in his second ton of the day, 125, but Allen took the tenth with a run of 57.

The evening session resumed in front of a 500 strong capacity crowd and both players entered the arena to a great ovation.

Mifsud was first out of the blocks, moving to within one frame, but the alarm bells really started ringing for the Australian when Allen found another gear and rattled off the next four frames, with runs of 58, 66, and 36 to move within one frame of the title at 10-6.

But a moment of light relief then lifted the tension, as between frames two men carrying a ladder arrived in the arena to add the figure one to the two electronic scoreboards, which although very efficient, obviously haven't yet learned to count to ten!!

Mifsud rallied to take the next frame on the colours, but he had a mountain to climb and it was too much to ask. Given an opening in the sixteenth frame Allen crafted a celebratory break of 70 to seal his championship victory in style.

Thirty-two year old Mifsud was disappointed at losing but not down-hearted, saying "I've played pretty well here, against some great players, and Mark was just too good. I think he's destined to go to the very top of the sport."

Allen was faced by a barrage of reporters and photographers from both Dutch and international media and the eighteen year old handled the unaccustomed ordeal in style, but blushed bright red when the questioning came round to his relationship with the newly crowned World Ladies Champion Reanne Evans.

"I've had my eye on her for a long time", laughed Allen.

"We enjoy practicing together and we're both still learning, but I'm a bit more experienced so I hope I'm helping her game a bit."

Allen lives in Northern Ireland and Evans in England, and they don't know when they'll be able to meet up again. But Allen was emphatic that it is great to have a girlfriend who is also a player. "She knows what's involved in being a player and competitors. She understands what I go through and she's really supportive. But I don't know when we'll be able to meet up again, we haven't made any plans yet."

Allen took up the game at the age of twelve, introduced to snooker by his father, Ronnie, who is a useful 80 break player himself. His first introduction to international snooker came when he was a raw fourteen year old, against a visiting Welsh junior team. In his very first frame he rattled in an 82 break, and was marked out even then as a great future prospect.

Since then his career has been guided by Snooker Club owner Joe Shortt, who's acted as more of a mental mentor and support structure, than a coach.

Allen dedicated his win to his mum and dad, without whom he probably wouldn't be playing at all. Only a year ago, unknown to Mark, they sold their house to help fund his career.

Winning the European Championship earlier this year was the spark that set Allen on the road to World Championship glory. "That win gave me so much confidence and I knew I could win the big events. I didn't come hear thinking I was a favourite, I don't build myself up, but I had the belief that I was good enough to win."