…By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
Mark Allen: A Career Resurgence
Mark Allen, a Northern Irish professional snooker player, has experienced a career resurgence in recent years, culminating in his semi-final appearance at the 2023 World Championship.
Allen turned professional in 2005 and was tipped as a future Crucible champion after reaching the semi-finals of the 2005 World Championship.
However, a relationship with women’s world snooker champion Reanne Evans turned sour, leading to Allen experiencing depression and difficulty leaving his home after their split.
The British Open incident with Evans
In 2021, Allen’s former relationship with Evans resurfaced when they were drawn to play each other in the first round of the British Open.
Despite all eyes being on the former couple, Allen won the match, with Evans rejecting his fist-bump before the opening break.
Reflecting on the incident, Allen described it as ‘horrible’ and something he didn’t want to do again, but he tried to stay professional throughout the match.
Career resurgence and current form
Since the stumble in the middle of his career, Allen has shed four stone after a chat with Ronnie O’Sullivan and won three ranking titles since the start of 2022, taking his tally to nine.
At the 2023 World Championship, he has impressed by beating Fan Zhengyi, Stuart Bingham, and Jak Jones to reach the semi-final against Mark Selby.
The 37-year-old is just two games away from winning the World Championship for the first time, 14 years after his first appearance in the last four.
