A disappointed Mark Allen said he ‘got what I deserved’ in Saturday night’s UK Championship semi-final.
The Antrim man lead 4-2 and 5-4 against Barry Hawkins, only to loss a tense final frame to the Englishman at the York Barbican.
Reflecting on the match – that ended at 12.57am – a frustrating Allen said: “I got what I deserved I deserved in the end. I didn’t take advantage of the chances I had, and I had quite a few. It’s agonising because I got so close, despite playing poorly. Barry was the better player tonight. Only my grit and determination gave me a chance towards the end, but the right person won.
“Losing anyone Triple Crown semi-final is always hard to take but I think I’ve turned the corner this week. It’s disappointing now, but there are plenty of positives.”
The Northern Irishman refused to comment on the state of the table at the Barbican, which has been criticised by several players at this year’s tournament.
Hawkins will face Judd Trump in Sunday’s (1pm) final.