World Snooker Championship 2026: Mark Allen Won’t Rely on Experience as Wu Yize or Vafaei Await in Semi-Final

Former world number one Mark Allen produced one of the finest displays of his career to edge past Barry Hawkins 13-11 and become the first semi-finalist of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.

It was a high-quality, relentlessly attacking contest throughout, with neither player showing much restraint in a match that quickly developed into the most open encounter of the tournament so far. 

The second session, in particular, was a spectacle, producing three century breaks and only one frame that failed to include a break of 50 or more.

Allen’s victory sends him into the Crucible’s one-table set-up for the third time in his career, as he continues his pursuit of a first world title.

The match ended in dramatic and painful fashion for Hawkins, whose late error proved decisive.

An outrageous fluke on the last red in the final frame briefly gave him hope, but under pressure he then attempted to roll the cue ball behind the pink in an effort to snooker Allen. He under hit the shot and committed a costly foul, handing Allen the platform to clear the table.

It was a moment Hawkins will without doubt be losing sleep over, as Allen capitalised immediately, before celebrating in animated fashion after securing his place in the semi-finals.

Allen returns to familiar Crucible stage

This will be Allen’s third appearance in the one-table set-up at the Crucible, though his previous semi-final experiences ended in defeat to two of the game’s all-time greats and four-time world champions, John Higgins in 2009 and Mark Selby in 2023.

This time, however, the landscape is different. Either Hossein Vafaei or Wu Yize will await him, with both players reaching this stage of the tournament for the first time.

“They’ll relish it” – Allen on debut semi-finalists

Asked about facing two relatively inexperienced players on the sport’s biggest stage, Allen was quick to dismiss any assumption that experience alone will decide the contest.

“It could, but it might not because people get inspired,” Allen told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

“One table setup, all eyes on you. Hossein and Wu are both massive characters and I think they'll sort of relish that occasion.”

Allen also acknowledged that while experience may become relevant in a tight match, particularly over a long distance, he is not intending to rely on it.

“So, it'd be great if it went close and I could maybe use a bit of knowledge and stuff to get through, but that's not what I want to do. I want to go out there and play my best snooker because I still believe that's more than good enough anyway.”

No preference over opponents as semi-final looms

At the time of writing, Wu and Vafaei were locked at 4-4, with two sessions remaining to decide who will meet Allen. 

While either outcome presents a very different challenge, Allen insists it makes no difference to his mindset.

On paper, a semi-final against a Crucible debutant appears more favourable than a potential clash with heavyweights such as reigning UK Champion Selby or current world number one Judd Trump, both of whom have been eliminated by the remaining contenders.

But Allen rejected the idea that the draw changes anything.

“It doesn't make a difference to me. I've beat [Judd] Trump and [Mark] Selby before, and if I was to win a world championship, I'd probably love to beat them along the way, but you can only beat who he's in front of you,” Allen added. 

“Playing Wu or Hossein in the semifinal isn't going to be any less special than playing Mark or Judd, and it's going to be just as tough because ultimately they've beat those players in question and fully deserve their place in the semis.”

One step closer – but Allen keeps perspective

The Northern Irishman has long made no secret of his ambition to complete the sport’s Triple Crown, with the World Championship the only major missing from his collection after winning both the UK Championship and Masters.

Despite reaching the semi-finals, Allen insists his mindset remains unchanged from the start of the tournament.

“I'm thinking about it because it's the world championships and I come here every year thinking I can win it for the first time. It's no different being in the semis.”

It’s only the beginning for Allen, who is fully aware he is only halfway towards lifting the trophy. 

Across his first three matches he has already won 36 frames, and if he is to go all the way, there are still another 33 frames standing between him and world championship glory.

“The only difference is I'm slightly closer to being there, but I'm only halfway when it comes to frames won. There's a long, long way to go, but I feel like I'm the type of player if I can get on a run, if I can start playing my best snooker, four or five days in a row, I should be able to back that up and that gives me a good chance.”

“But there's going to be three other very tough opponents in that semifinal and they'll all fancy other chances too,” he concluded.