Mark Allen came from behind to beat Ricky Walden 9-7 and set up a final clash with Judd Trump at the UK Championship in York.
Northern Irishman within touching distance of first ranking title
Mark Allen came from behind to beat Ricky Walden 9-7 and set up a final clash with Judd Trump at the UK Championship in York.
Allen is now one victory away from ending the most colourful week of his career with a maiden ranking event title.
The Northern Ireland potter caused a storm on Monday when he started the week with a public tirade against World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn in a press conference, but he could now end it by taking a cheque, potentially from Hearn if he attends Sunday's showpiece against Trump, for £100,000.
A lot of things have to happen between now and then, but even the most loyal Trump fans would concede there would be a certain irony if Allen, the 25-year-old who accused Hearn of looking to "make money for himself", leaves Yorkshire with a six-figure sum in his pocket.
Some of any potential earnings may have to be paid back in fines too, with Allen having been referred to the game's disciplinary panel for a four-letter outburst during his candid address, which also contained his call for Hearn to step down.
Before any of that becomes a reality, though, he must find a way to get past Trump, although his performance in beating Walden 9-7 suggested he could well topple the man who has been dubbed as the future of the sport.
"Judd is riding the crest of a wave and it will be a tough match," Allen told BBC Sport. "I've been waiting for a final for a long time, to have the handshake in front of the trophy."
New man
Walden, the 2008 Shanghai Masters champion, signed off for the afternoon with a century, his second of the match, to earn a 5-3 lead at the end of the first session.
But, having looked decidedly out of sorts, Allen returned tonight seemingly a new man and, by the mid-session interval, was within touching distance of the final, winning all four frames.
Two solid contributions got him back to 5-4 and Allen then rattled in a 79 to move two ahead.
It was clear the momentum was with the former World Amateur champion, something that was demonstrated in a gripping 11th frame.
Walden left a return to baulk short and gave Allen a potable red to the middle which he sunk, only to break down on 35.
A smart 60 gave Walden a chance of stealing the frame but, after missing frame-ball brown, Allen slipped in to clear the colours, before a 64 sent him into the interval with a clean sweep of the first four frames of the night.
Walden got his tally for the evening running in the next frame when a 52 helped him pull back to 7-6, only for Allen to respond and move to within touching distance of the final.
But Walden won the next to threaten a one-frame shoot-out, before Allen kept his composure to wrap things up with a closing 70.
