September 17th 2024.
Mark Allen was determined to win his first English Open title and he faced a tough challenge in his first game against Long Zehuang. Despite being ranked number three in the world, Allen was pushed to the limit by the Chinese player who made impressive breaks of 65, 67, and 69. It seemed like Allen's hopes of a title were in jeopardy as he lost the next three games, but he managed to keep his composure and take the match to a decider.
In the end, Allen was able to edge out Long Zehuang 4-3 in a nail-biting finish. Speaking about his opponent, Allen expressed his admiration for the world number 71, whom he didn't know much about before the match. He acknowledged Long's previous wins against top players like Mark Selby and Gary Wilson and praised his performance in their match.
Despite the close call, Allen felt like he played well and couldn't find much fault in his own game. He did admit that he would have liked to score heavier, but overall he was satisfied with his performance. His next opponent in the last 32 will be Lyu Haotian, while Gary Wilson and Tom Ford were knocked out in the previous round.
Wilson suffered a 4-3 defeat to Ross Muir, while Ford was beaten 4-2 by Jiang Jun. It has been a slow start to the season for Wilson, but not as concerning as Ford's performance. The 41-year-old has been struggling with results since the beginning of the season, even having to withdraw from a Championship League group due to an ankle problem. He will have a chance to improve his record at the upcoming British Open, where he will face Gong Chenzhi in his first match.
It's not just Wilson and Ford who have had early exits from the English Open. World number 15, Jak Jones, also suffered a 4-3 defeat to India's Ishpreet Singh Chadha on Monday. Another notable absence was world number nine Ding Junhui, who did not participate in the tournament.
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