Allen Beats Hawkins To Reach Worlds Last Four

Mark Allen's bid to go nan oldest first-time world champion successful nan modern era gathered momentum arsenic he reached nan semi-finals pinch a 13-11 triumph complete Barry Hawkins astatine nan Crucible Theatre successful Sheffield.

The 40-year-old Northern Irishman is aiming to complete snooker's Triple Crown having antecedently triumphed successful nan UK Championship and Masters.

However, snooker's biggest prize has truthful acold eluded him successful 19 erstwhile attempts pinch his triumph complete Hawkins earning him a spot successful nan past 4 for only nan 3rd time.

Having resumed astatine 8-8, Allen took nan opening 2 frames of Wednesday morning's convention only to beryllium pegged backmost by nan 2013 finalist, who knocked successful breaks of 70 and 83 successful response.

The players traded frames earlier Allen constructed his 3rd period of a high-quality matter to move 12-11 ahead.

In a melodramatic last framework Allen took power pinch a break of 59 and sealed his transition to nan single-table shape aft nan Englishman underhit an attempted snooker connected nan pinkish conscionable seconds aft fluking a reddish to springiness himself nan chance to unit a decider.

Allen will now look either Wu Yize aliases Hossein Vafaei successful a best-of-33 brushwood that originates connected Thursday astatine 19:00 BST.

Should Allen triumph nan world title he will go nan oldest first-time victor successful nan modern era, eclipsing Stuart Bingham, who claimed nan world title successful 2015, aged 38 years and 343 days.

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