An emotional Mark Allen said retiring from snooker is "something I have been contemplating for a while" after losing 4-2 to fellow Antrim man Jordan Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open.
It was Allen's first event since losing to Wu Yize in the World Championship semi-final in Sheffield in May, when he missed a match-winning black that would have sent him into his first World Championship final. The 40-year-old, a former world number one who has won 12 ranking tournaments including the 2022 UK Championship, said he had been in a "bad place at the minute" and does not "see a future with snooker in it."
Allen said simply showing up in Belfast was an "achievement" after a "really difficult" three months. He said he had considered not playing at all, but wanted his last match to be remembered for more than the Sheffield defeat, describing the Waterfront Hall, where he won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, as the right place for a possible farewell. He added that he would not announce a decision after a defeat, but that something needs to change before the UK Championship in six weeks.
Brown, the world number 65, said the win was the "least satisfying" of his career. He said he hoped Allen would reconsider, calling him "a top bloke" and saying snooker is his love. Brown also spoke of his own struggles, including the recent death of his mother and a precarious ranking position.
Brown will face Michael Holt in the last 32.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing