Scottish Open 2024: Mark Allen wins deciding frame to continue dominance of Jack Lisowski, faces Noppon Saengkham next
Updated 12/12/2024 at 23:11 GMT
Mark Allen continued his winning run against Jack Lisowski by taking a final-frame decider at Meadowbank Sports Centre on Thursday evening, booking his place in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Open. It was Allen's sixth victory in a row against Lisowski. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Scottish Open, live and on demand on Eurosport and discovery+.
Allen makes century but misses 147 chance on final red
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mark Allen’s dominance of Jack Lisowski continued with a 4-3 win in the third round of the Scottish Open.
Aside from a Lisowski victory at the Shoot Out in 2023, Allen had won their past five meetings, including a recent clash at the UK Championship.
Lisowski looked good and made a century in the opening frame and although Allen was not at the level that saw him crush Ryan Day in the previous round, he did enough to book his place in the quarter-finals.
"I thought it was a good game," Allen told Eurosport’s Alan McManus. "There were a few mistakes but I thought it was good."
Reflecting on his win in the Scottish Open in 2018, Allen said: "It was a good one as I think that year it was my third tournament win. I won the International Championship and The Masters, so it was good.
"Any tournament win is great, but in such a good city [Glasgow] is even nicer."
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Lisowski opens Scottish Open clash against Allen with century break
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lisowski got in first in the opener and potted some good balls, but a split of the pack was not favourable. His retreat to baulk was poor, and Allen played an excellent safety in reply and it forced an error.
Allen was not able to get in prime position and his miss of a red to the left middle was a costly one as Lisowski ran through a rapid break of 106 to edge in front.
The second frame went the way of Allen courtesy of a run of 79, but the points could easily have been Lisowski’s as Allen benefited from an outrageous fluke.
A red to the right middle caught the bottom knuckle and trundled up the rail and dropped in the green pocket.
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Allen flukes red against Lisowski at Scottish Open
Video credit: TNT Sports
The rest of the break was exemplary, but the slice of luck was not lost on Lisowski, who shook his head in disappointment.
Lisowski was guilty of running out of position on a number of occasions in the third but his superb potting got him out of trouble and two 40 breaks were enough to edge him back in front.
A slack safety from Lisowski in the fourth presented Allen with a chance, and within a few shots the Northern Irishman was thinking of a maximum.
When he knocked in a superb pot to the green pocket on the 11th red, the whole arena was thinking 147.
A red near the left rail was the tricky ball, and groans went round the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh when Allen’s attempt at a double caught the bottom jaw of the right middle and stayed out, but the break of 112 was enough to level the match once again.
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Allen makes century but misses 147 chance on final red
Video credit: TNT Sports
Allen put his supporters through the wringer in the fifth, as he worked a sizeable lead and had Lisowski needing a snooker - only to foul to open the frame back up.
Lisowski threatened a counter but landed awkwardly on the final red and missed it with the rest.
The drama was not done and Lisowski fluked a yellow when escaping from a snooker, only to snooker himself on the green. He made the escape, but Allen knocked in green and brown to move in front at 3-2.
Allen has adopted a more attacking approach this week than in recent tournaments. It cost him in the sixth, as his failure to sink a tough red to the green pocket opened the door for Lisowski and he rushed through a break of 80 to force a decider.
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Lisowski had his chance, but a split of the pack off the blue was not kind. He had the option to run for cover, but elected to take on a difficult red to the right middle. It did not drop and handed a chance to Allen.
Allen has never been afraid of the winning line and he crafted a superb break of 68 to leave Lisowski needing a snooker.
Lisowski was unable to find it and after leaving a red begging, he picked up the green and rolled it into a pocket by way of a concession.
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Noppon makes century in frame two against Carter at Scottish Open
Video credit: TNT Sports
Noppon Saengkham withstood a fightback from Ali Carter to secure a 4-2 win, and a meeting with Allen on Friday evening.
Breaks of 52, 120 and 79 had Noppon in control, but Carter picked off frames four and five with runs of 65 and 87, respectively.
The Carter charge was halted by an outrageous fluke from Noppon in the sixth, and he cashed in on the red wriggling in the jaws of the bottom right, rolling along the rail and dropping into the bottom left, as he made a break of 62.
It did not get him over the line, but Carter’s counter did not get off the ground and Noppon returned to wrap up the win.
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Scottish Open, live and on demand on Eurosport and discovery+
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