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MARK ALLEN has urged Shaun Murphy to “put aside personal sentiments in the commentary box” after criticism regarding an “annoying” tactic during their match.
Allen, 38, narrowly fell to Barry Hawkins 6-5 in the semi-finals of the UK Championship on Saturday in a closely contested battle.
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Murphy, 42, voiced his opinions while commentating for the BBC, expressing concerns over Allen’s lengthy shot decisions.
He remarked: “While this complies with regulations, we must consider at what point we view Mark Allen’s extended contemplation over simple shots as a tactic to annoy his opponent?
“We are witnessing a highly intelligent and tactical match from Mark Allen as he aims to outsmart his rival.
“This tactic harks back to classic strategies that both my generation and Mark’s have observed before, and it fully adheres to the rules.
“However, I find it challenging to grasp any rationale for the length of his decisions. Observing Barry in his chair suggests that this approach is effective.”
Murphy and Allen have had previous confrontations, as Murphy referred to Allen as “rude and amateurish,” leading Allen to describe Murphy as “irrelevant” in response to his criticisms regarding earlier statements.
In his social media reflections following the match, Allen asserted that Murphy’s personal vendetta shaped his commentary on Allen’s snooker techniques.
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Allen commented: “Not making it to this year’s UK Championships. The better player won on the day.
“Good luck to both Judd and Barry in the final… For the critics out there, I always give my all, and while it may not always appear appealing, I am striving for my best. Some other players could learn from this attitude.”
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“Regarding Shaun in the commentary box, he is certainly allowed his viewpoint, but it would be preferable to keep personal emotions out of the commentary in the future.”
“This all stems from my calling out some of his recent nonsense 😂😂.”
Hawkins is scheduled to face Judd Trump in the UK Championship final on Sunday.
Trump, who defeated Kyren Wilson 6-2 in the semi-final, previously won the tournament in 2011 and has been a runner-up in two finals in 2014 and 2020.
Hawkins is making his inaugural appearance in a final.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is an extensive list of snooker World Champions by year.
Records commenced in the modern era, starting from the 1968-69 season when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took charge of the sport.
The inaugural World Championships were held in 1927, interrupted from 1941-45 due to World War II and again from 1958-63 due to disputes in the sport.
Joe Davis (15 titles), Fred Davis, and John Pulman (8 titles each) were the most successful players during this period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan hold the record for the most titles in the modern era, each securing seven.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
