Former world number one snooker player Mark Allen has missed his eighth tournament after withdrawing from the Shenzhen Open due to unspecified personal reasons. World Snooker Tour officials confirmed they have reached out to the 40-year-old Antrim cueist as his absence from the professional circuit extends following the conclusion of the World Championship in May.
Consecutive Tournament Withdrawals Stacking Up
Allen has not competed in a professional match since his semi-final defeat at the Crucible in May, where he lost to eventual champion Wu Yize. Since that tournament, the player known as “The Pistol” has withdrawn from a string of ranking and non-ranking events, including the Shanghai Masters, Championship League, China Open, Wuhan Open, British Open, and English Open. His latest withdrawal from the Shenzhen Open means Belgian youngster Ben Mertens will receive a walkover into the last 32 of the £177,000 tournament scheduled for late September.
Doubt Cast Over Home Event in Belfast
The prolonged absence raises questions regarding Allen’s participation in the upcoming Northern Ireland Open, his home ranking event running from October 18 to 25 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Allen has captured the trophy twice previously and reached the semi-finals of the event last year. World Snooker Tour representatives have maintained communication with the player during his time away from the spotlight, though the exact nature of the personal matters keeping him off the table remains private.
Reflecting on the Crucible Semi-Final Exit
Allen’s last active appearance at the table remains his dramatic exit in Sheffield, marked by a missed straight-forward black in the closing stages of his match against Wu Yize. Speaking to the BBC days after the defeat, Allen acknowledged the difficulty of the miss while noting the positives from his run. “I hadn’t seen my daughter Harley for three weeks and when I picked her up from school, she jumped into my arms and the first thing she said was ‘how did you miss that black, daddy?'” Allen told the BBC. “It was a shocking miss, but I tried my best and it just didn’t work out on that day.”