Will Mark finally be able to Master his greatest foe?
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Mark Allen: another tricky clash with John Higgins in this week’s Masters. GA025601F
By Paul Ainsworth
MARK Allen looks set to have the toughest possible start to his Masters campaign, as he faces World Snooker Champion John Higgins in the first round.
The invite-only competition is under way at Wembley Arena, and Antrim's Allen is set to play his first match this Wednesday (January 13).
However, his first clash could also be his last of this particular tournament, if past performances against Higgins are anything to go by, as the 'Wizard of Wishaw' has sent Allen home from two major tournaments over the last year, and will no doubt be eager for a hat-trick.
Antrim fans were devastated when Higgins brought Allen's World Championship dreams to an end last May in a nail-biting semi-final showdown.
Higgins, who went on to lift the trophy in the Crucible, thought he had the match in the bag after gaining a lead of 13-3 on the first day's play.
However, Allen had his rival sitting on the edge of his seat the following session, when he staged a remarkable comeback, and brought the final score to a more respectable 17-13 in the Scot's favour.
Having shown that he was a force to be reckoned with, Allen left the Crucible with the glory of the earlier Ronnie O'Sullivan defeat under his belt, and a higher ranking to boot.
But he knew that Higgins - the world number three - was now his toughest opponent.
This was proven when the pair met again during the quarter-finals of the snooker Grand Prix in October.
A confident Allen had overcome three top players, including Jamie 'Shotgun' Cope, to get to the last eight.
Yet, a super-confident Higgins demolished the Antrim star in a 5-1 defeat, ending his hopes of winning a second tournament that year, following his Chinese victory in the Wuzhou International Jiangsu Classic.
To win that trophy, Allen beat Ding Junhui in the final, the player who overcame John Higgins in the final of last month's UK Championship.
The local hero did not have much luck during that contest, being sent home after a first-round defeat - this time not at the hands of Higgins, but by World Number 25 Stephen Lee.
This week, fans are hoping for a better performance from 23-year-old Allen, although they might have wished for a less formidable opponent in the opening round, in order to avoid a repeat of December's early departure from the action.
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