On December 18, 2022, Beijing time, the snooker England Open ended the semifinals, and the second semifinal broke out a cold, and Mark Allen, who was more optimistic before the game, was in a slump, losing 2-6 to Luca Brecel and missing the final. The winning Luca Brecel advanced to the final and will compete with Mark Selby for the title.
Mark Allen is one of the most in-form players this season, having won two ranking titles, including the British Championship, one of the three major tournaments. In addition, Mark Allen reversed Ding Junhui twice, including a big comeback from 6-1 in the final of the British Championship and a comeback from 1-3 down in the English Open. Therefore, Mark Allen is known as Ding Junhui's bitter master, and his outstanding results have also made Mark Allen among the top 5 in the world.
In this England Open, the post-80s players became the protagonists, and Mark Allen defeated Ding Junhui after winning two consecutive games to easily advance to the semifinals, and the first half was met by Neil Robertson and Mark Selby. The other semi-finalist spot belongs to Luca Brecel, who was gifted as a post-90s player who eliminated Trump and shattered the dream of a post-80s winner of the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Mark Allen spoke directly with Luca Brecel, and Mark Allen was more favored, on the one hand, he was ranked higher, and on the other hand, he was in better form this season, ranking far ahead in a single season. However, Mark Allen started with a slump and a lot of mistakes, and Luca Brecel seized the opportunity to hit consecutive singles of 61, 55, 50, 71 and 89, and he went straight to 5-0 to take the match point, which was surprising.
Although Mark Allen's comeback ability was very strong, this time it was a win-of-11 game, facing the unfavorable situation of 0-5 down, Mark Allen shot a single 89 and 63 points, but he only saved two match points, Luca Brecel seized the opportunity in the eighth game to seal the victory 78-9, knocking out Mark Allen 6-2 and advancing to the final. Luca Brecel, who not only won a place in the final, but also returned to the top 10 in the world rankings, will compete with Mark Selby for the title of this tournament.
Mark Selby and Neil Robertson engaged in a strong conversation, and after trailing 3-1, Mark Selby fought to defeat defending champion Neil Robertson 6-4 to reach the ranking final for the first time this season. Throughout the game, Mark Selby shot 136 and 104, and Neil Robertson shot 141, and the two teamed up to give a great game. The final between Mark Selby and Luca Brecel will be played at 21pm on December 18, with a best-of-17 format and can Selby break the championship drought? Let's wait and see!