Yesterday night, Mark Allen became the first player ranked into the top 16 to win the Shoot Out.
Congratulations Mark Allen!
Allen Wins Tenth Ranking Title With Shoot Out Success
Mark Allen became the first top-16 ranked player to win the BetVictor Shoot Out, beating Cao Yupeng in the final in Swansea.
It’s a tenth career ranking title for Northern Ireland’s Allen, moving him level with Jimmy White, and he becomes the 12th player in snooker history to reach double figures. Player of the season in 2022/23, Allen had experienced a slow start to the current campaign, but has proved his class again in recent weeks, landing the Champion of Champions crown and now his first Shoot Out success.
Renowned for his capacity to stay calm under pressure, and more than capable of seeing shots quickly, Allen’s game is well suited to this format, with all matches lasting a maximum of ten minutes. He was runner-up to Martin Gould in 2013 and now can add this title to his list of career victories. The world number four was the highest-ranked player in the field this week and becomes the first player in the 12-year history of the event to lift the trophy while positioned among the top 16.
He came into this week in Swansea in 30th place on the one-year list, far from certain of a place in January’s World Grand Prix, but the £50,000 top prize will boost him well inside the top 16. It also moves him into contention for the £150,000 BetVictor Series Bonus, albeit well behind leader Judd Trump with three of the eight counting events remaining.
A slice of good fortune is always needed to win this tournament, and Allen had his during his last 16 tie against Oliver Lines, who was just two balls away from victory but ran millimetres out of position in the closing seconds which cost him the match. Allen went to to beat Si Jiahui in the quarter-finals then in the semis he got the better of Steven Hallworth, who missed the chance to become the first amateur to reach a ranking final.
Allen had first chance in the final and made 16 before missing a tricky red to a top corner. China’s Cao replied with 4 then failed to pot a long blue, and that proved his only real opportunity. Allen got back in with an excellent long red, then added 15 and laid a tough snooker, and from that point was able to nurse his lead to the winning line.
“It was crazy tonight, the last session is chaotic,” said 37-year-old Allen, who lost 10-6 to Cao in the first round of the 2012 World Championship. “But you feel you can get on a roll when things start happening quickly. Every time I come to a tournament I want to win it.
“I was very aware of my position on the one-year list coming into this week, I was keeping an eye on the rankings, so I’m glad to have that World Grand Prix place secured now.
“Today the crowd was so good, it reminded me of when we first played this event in Blackpool – in my view that was the best Shoot Out venue but this is right up there. There were a few words thrown at me which was great fun, I was mentally prepared for what they were going to shout out. It was good see the event right back to its best.”
World number 49 Cao missed out on a first ranking title and has now lost three finals, but was delighted with his run and £20,000 runner-up prize. “I feel perfect event though I lost the final,” he said. “I am not the fastest player but I did very well this week. I like the Shoot Out and this arena is amazing. I had one good chance in the final but didn’t get position on the blue.”
The first two days felt quite flat. The arena is very big and these being working days it looked a bit empty. Of course there was Shaun Murphy’s 147 but still… That said it was interesting to watch quite a number of young amateur players in action. Friday was a bit better and yesterday the crowd was massive and totally embracing the spirit of the event.
Jimmy, Reanne and Rachel did a great job for Eurosport, they worked very long hours and managed to keep the enthusiasm throughout.
Kyren Wilson tried his best to entertain, opting to play with a differenr glove in each match. When I say glove … there was a red mitten, a referee glove, a rubber glove … you name it.
Phil Seymour did a good “crowd warming” job as well.
And, of course Dominic Dale sang and did a bit of cue juggling … (no! I didn’t record his performances!)
Maybe this event should be the last before the Christmas break? Of course there is a risk that more players give it a miss, but maybe, on the contrary, it could be seen a an opportunity to unwind, let go and embrace the madness and the Holiday spirit?
I still don’t agree with it being ranking. It’s not an easy event o win, that’s obvious. You need to win 7 matches, under time pressure, knowing that each mistake could be fatal right from the off. It asks for solid nerves, quick thinking and a cool head even in the middle of the chaos. But it’s just one frame. Any bit of misfortune can be fatal too. There are a lot of amateurs in it, with nothing to lose, whilst for some of the pros involved every ranking point available is important and they are under pressure. I’m not sure that’s fair.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
It’s good that after a long time someone who won has actually won normal titles too, because lately players who won the Shootout, won nothing else and often fell off the tour afterwards. (Though I hoped Iulian Boiko would do well enough to get ranking points and maybe make it to the tour on the one year list and at least get something out of its being ranking.) I cannot watch it with the sound on (I know that way I miss half of the “fun”, but no thanks). It can be entertaining and showcase some players we don’t see often (though since the qualifiers are streamed, it does no longer look such a big bonus for me), I just can’t appreciate that time is such a big factor. I don’t mind the shotclock, but the fact that when the 10 minutes are up, the one with more points wins, takes away the often very exciting endgame. Not to mention that a lot depends on how fast the referee can replace the balls. To give ranking point for it is a travesty.
On a different note: I thought Ronnie did not want to play the Scottish Open after last week’s big result, but he is still in the schedule for tomorrow.
To give ranking point for it is a travesty-> I understand your point but it somewhat have to.
(As the trend is the schedule more packed now, how could the matchroom “encourage” certain tour players to play without money? points – even it is reduced.)
And considering the reduced points, it only have some impact beyond semifinalists. (So Personally will let it go, even it has higher “efficiency”)
Lunatic thoughts: Go at least win a match in other events! win a L64 and you need not to wait 3days near the arena(Shootout).
David Hendon just posted on Twitter that Ronnie has withdrawn. Unsurprisingly.
Is he replaced or walkover?
Walkover.
If it is a non-ranking, the prize money count towards the guarantee 20,000?
P.S. 6 reds has more reason to be a ranking!
I think so yes. And, yes, I would agree if 6-reds was open to all, but it has not been the case so far.
You would think Hawkins must have been in the top 16 when he won it in 2012.
Or when Day or MGill won it.
No.
No he wasn’t.
I know. I looked it up. But you “would” think so with these three in my opinion.
Yes, it is actually the only event left on the calendar where the whole tournament is played in the same venue, in principle bringing all players on tour together. However, since many of the top players didn’t enter, it hardly breaks the division between the lesser players and the elite.
In general, the broadcasters did a decent job. The camerawork was often bad, missing important shots. Also, they continued the no-Chinese interview policy, until Cao’s loss in the final.
On the table there were few highlights: Shaun Murphy’s 147, the match between Kyren Wilson and Si Jiahui, and a few other close scrambles. But yes, it’s good to see some young players get a bit of experience and exposure.
Yep, I mostly agree.
None of the no-shows were actually missed. Conversely, those striving to constitute the future of snooker got their opportunity to shine, which the snooker authorities usually deny them. It’s a shame, really.
Except for Si Jiahui’s fierce comeback and the subsequent blue-ball shoot-out, getting to watch them at the TV table was the highlight of the tournament. There should be a shoot out-style tournament every other month, in my view. All ranking, of course. And why not? It sorts the quick-witted from the slouches, and that cannot possibly be wrong.
There were two low points. First, the t-shirts. Heavens… this prevalence of protruding bellies and very feminine hips I can do without in … “sportsmen”. Second, the camerawork wasn’t bad, it was catastrophic. The entire team should have been run out of town with an indelible “no hire” remark in their CVs. The task was, out of respect for the sport, to bring snooker to the screens, not to miss and hide as much snooker as possible in order to celebrate their multi-camera technological prowess.