Snooker: Allen happy Crucible is to keep hosting the biggie

Published on Wednesday 29 April 2009 09:54

RISING star Mark Allen is delighted the Betfred.com World Championship is staying at the Crucible.

The 23-year-old Northern Irish cueman had a 9-7 overnight lead over Wales' Ryan Day, with the concluding session of their quarter-final due to be played today.

Left-hander Allen had never previously gone beyond the second round in Sheffield but, with a semi-final within touching distance,

he took time out to embrace the announcement that Sheffield will continue to stage the World Championship until 2014.

"It's brilliant for the Worlds to be held here in Sheffield," said Allen, after World Snooker chiefs announced a three-year extension to the existing contract.

"I remember starting out as a young person. Coming into the sport you dream about playing here at the Crucible. There's a lot of history attached.

"It speaks volumes for the governing body and Sheffield City Council that it's being held here for another five years."

Last night Allen edged ahead of Day by taking the closing two frames of the second session, with the winner to face either John Higgins or Mark Selby for a place in the final.

Selby made three centuries and a break of 96 in a high-quality first session of his last-eight clash with Wishaw's Higgins but had to settle for deadlock at 4-4, and they were due to play morning and evening sessions today.

Shaun Murphy had the chance to post a famous victory over seven-time champion Stephen Hendry after establishing a 9-7 lead.

Hendry made a maximum 147 break in the seventh frame of yesterday's morning session to earn himself prize money of 157,000, which he must share if anyone else matches the achievement.

But Murphy then won seven of the next nine frames, including five in a row thanks to breaks of 73, 137, 83, 104 and 80.

A scrappy period then developed before Murphy finished with a break of 82.

Australian Neil Robertson seized a 5-3 lead against world number two Stephen Maguire after knocking in breaks of 76, 105, 98 and 53.

Maguire was struggling badly in the early stages, perhaps feeling the effects of his gruelling second-round match against Mark King, but a run of 75 in the final frame of the afternoon saw him finish on a high. They were set to complete their match with afternoon and evening sessions.