Mark Allen says he is considering retirement after Northern Ireland Open defeat

Mark Allen says he is considering retirement after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast. The former world number one said the past three months had been “really, really difficult” and that he needed to make changes before deciding whether to return for the UK Championship.[1]

The 40-year-old had not played on the World Snooker Tour since losing to Wu Yize in the World Championship semi-finals in May. Allen said appearing at the Waterfront Hall, where he won back-to-back Northern Ireland Open titles in 2021 and 2022, was an achievement after his break from competition.

“I am not going to announce it [retirement] right now after a defeat,” he told BBC Sport NI. “But it is something I have been contemplating for a while and something needs to change within the next six weeks before the UK Championship.”[1]

Allen said he had wanted to play Brown, a close friend from County Antrim, because he did not want his last match to be remembered as the semi-final defeat in Sheffield. Brown, who progressed to face Michael Holt, said he hoped Allen would return, describing him as “absolutely brilliant” and “a top bloke”.[1]

Allen has won 12 ranking tournaments, including the 2022 UK Championship. He said his focus over the coming weeks would be working on himself before deciding what came next.