2 weeks ago
Mark Allen admits he has "only myself to blame" aft his dreams of winning nan World Championship for nan first clip were ended for different twelvemonth by a resurgent John Higgins.
Northern Irishman Allen led 10-7 successful Monday evening's convention earlier Higgins deed backmost pinch 3 successive frames to level nan second-round match.
After they shared nan adjacent 4 frames, Allen missed a important reddish pinch nan remainder successful nan deciding frame, allowing nan Scot to nutrient a superb match-winning clearance.
"It had a spot of everything successful there, immoderate bully stuff, immoderate not truthful good," said Allen.
"I had much than capable chances to triumph it and in installments to John, he does what John does and clears up successful nan deciding frame.
"I've only myself to blame. I had plentifulness of chances and conscionable didn't return them."
Allen, who reached nan World Championship semi-finals past year, came to nan Crucible astatine nan extremity of an awesome run that has seen him triumph 3 times.
But while nan 38-year-old is near to bespeak connected much disappointment astatine nan sport's showpiece event, four-time champion Higgins tin look guardant to a quarter-final against Kyren Wilson.
And Allen believes Higgins - who past won a ranking title 3 years agone - still has it successful him to declare a 5th World title, 13 years aft his fourth.
"He's 1 of nan bully guys connected tour," Allen said of Higgins.
"I've said that for a long, agelong time. He's ultra competitive. He wants to triumph and evidently wants to get backmost into nan apical 16.
"But there's bigger and amended things up for John Higgins if he believes himself because he's 1 of nan fewer who tin spell connected and triumph this tournament.
"There's only a mates I judge who tin triumph it and he's 1 of them."
