Mark Allen Defeats Antoni Kowalski at World Open Snooker 2026
Mark Allen of Northern Ireland secured a 5-2 victory over Poland’s Antoni Kowalski in the first round of the World Open snooker tournament in Yushan, China, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Despite a strong start from Kowalski, Allen advanced to the next stage of the competition.
Match Highlights
Antoni Kowalski initially surprised Allen by winning the first two frames, including a notable break of 128 in the opening frame. Although, Allen recovered and controlled the remainder of the match, preventing Kowalski from maintaining his early momentum. Allen did not register a break over 50 during the match. The final score was 5-2 in favor of Allen.
Other Notable Results
Several other matches concluded on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at the World Open:
- Judd Trump defeated Florian Nuessle 5-1.
- Ronnie O’Sullivan won 5-0 against Ishpreet Singh Chadha.
- Michael Holt defeated Mark Selby 5-0.
- Ian Burns defeated Barry Hawkins 5-0.
- Stan Moody upset defending champion John Higgins 5-4.
Ongoing Matches
As of Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Aaron Hill of Cork was in action against Gary Wilson.
Player Information
Mark Allen, representing Northern Ireland, is currently ranked in the World Open. He is 40 years old.
Antoni Kowalski, from Poland, is 22 years old and ranked 72nd in the world.
Transmissions of the Yushan tournament are available on Eurosport and HBO Max.