Mark Allen booked his place in the World Championship semi-finals after edging Barry Hawkins 13-11 in a tense and high-quality quarter-final at the Crucible.
The Northern Irishman, who had previously reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2023, was made to work desperately hard before finally seeing off Hawkins in a match that swung repeatedly and produced moments of real pressure snooker.
Allen reacted with a loud “Come on” after sealing victory, later admitting that his overriding emotion was relief after surviving a strong challenge from Hawkins.
“In the end, it was just a huge sense of relief, because Barry played really well,” Allen said. “Parts of the match were played at an incredible level, so this win shows where my game is at right now.”
2009 ✅
— WST (@WeAreWST) April 29, 2026
2023 ✅
2026 ✅
Mark Allen is into the one-table setup at the Crucible for the third time.#WorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/BkLbiM1LfR
Allen started the session more sharply, taking advantage of early errors from Hawkins, although neither player was fully fluent in the opening exchanges. Hawkins responded impressively, compiling breaks of 70 and 83 to pull himself back into the contest and underline the danger he continued to pose.
The decisive phase came when Allen produced one of the key breaks of the match under huge pressure. After the frames had been shared, he was handed only a slim opportunity but converted it superbly, turning a double into a magnificent century break of 104.
Mark Allen worked this out to PERFECTION! 👏#WorldChampionship | @SmartEnergyGB pic.twitter.com/hbuGEq6Ucc
— WST (@WeAreWST) April 29, 2026
The closing frame was full of drama. Hawkins appeared well placed after opening up a 42-0 lead, but a positional error on the black gave Allen a route back. He responded with a composed break of 59, then tightened the screw with safety play before forcing Hawkins into trouble on the final red.
It was a victory built on patience, nerve and clinical scoring when it mattered most. For Allen, it confirms a return to the last four of snooker’s biggest event and keeps alive his hopes of finally lifting the world title.
