Defending champion Mark Allen is enjoying himself at the Northern Ireland Open.
The Antrim ace landed an emotional title at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall when he beat Scottish legend John Higgins 9-8 last year.
And the World No.10 wasted little time in reaching the last 32 this time around with a convincing 4-0 whitewash of China’s Chen Zifan.
Read more: Nervy Mark Allen through in Northern Ireland Open while ex Reanne Evans bows out
“I felt comfortable out there. I’m enjoying it,” insisted Allen, who has shed five stone in four months.
“That’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed it in Belfast. Normally I’m a bundle of nerves.
“Winning it last year helped a lot, it got the monkey off my back. Not that I had something to prove to the people of Northern Ireland but I felt like I did.
“I’m enjoying being back here and I’m enjoying how I look now. I’m enjoying feeling better. I’m enjoying snooker at the minute. Win or lose I’m really enjoying the game at the minute.”
The Pistol needed little over an hour as he fired himself one step closer to a famous title defence. Breaks of 102, 92, 85 and 50 did the damage as Allen set up a clash with Andy Lee.
Mark Selby gave Sam Craigie a lesson yesterday then slammed his snooker protege for not making more of his talent.
The four-time world champion ground out a 4-2 victory over 28-year-old Geordie to reach the second round. World No.47 Craigie was touted as one of the most exciting prospects in the game as a teenager and is on his second crack at the tour after falling off in 2012.
Selby was so certain Craigie would be a smash hit he forked out his own cash to sponsor the youngster’s early efforts to make the grade.
He said: “Sam is such a great talent, I sponsored him for a little while when he was first trying to get on the tour. He didn’t have much money so with my former manager, Mukesh Parmar, we said we would pay his travel and hotels – and put him up near the club.
“But he wouldn’t turn up until 4pm and wasn’t really putting the work in, and there comes a point where you don’t want to waste money. It is frustrating to see players like that not fulfil their talent.”
Local wildcard Robbie McGuigan was dumped out 4-1 by Zhou yuelong but fellow Ulsterman Jordan Brown defeated Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-2.
Meanwhile, four-time world champion Higgins has said shamed match-fixer Stephen Lee would be welcomed back to the sport with “open arms”
Former world No.5 Lee was banned for 12 years after being found guilty of seven counts of match fixing between 2008 and 2009. That ban ends in 2024 but Lee would have to settle a £125,000 bill with the WPBSA before being allowed back.
Higgins, who beat Dublin’s Fergal O’Brien 4-2, said: “If he serves his ban and decides to come back we will welcome him back with open arms. What a player he was.”
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