Champion of Champions 2023: Mark Allen cruises into semi-finals following crushing victory over Ali Carter

Mark Allen followed up his earlier win over Jimmy White by easing past Ali Carter 6-2 to escape Group Four and reach the Champion of Champions semi-finals for a sixth time.

Allen feels his game has improved of late, but knows there is still work to do.

“Things were much better after a nervy start against Jimmy earlier,” Allen told ITV Sport after his victory over Carter. “I got a bit lucky in there, which is what you need.

“I think that’s been going against me this season, but I got it there. Those sorts of performances have been few and far between, I feel like I’ve turned a corner in the last few weeks, but I’m still not where I want to be.”

The world No. 4 enjoyed a dream start with a break of 135 to get the ball rolling in the opening quarter-final.

He took a measured approach to the opening frame and showed real quality to pick off a tricky brown and yellow, before tidying up the remaining colours to edge ahead in the race to six.

Allen caught a break during a tactical second frame when he came close to pulling off a brave double attempt, which left the red hanging over the middle left pocket after clipping the white, which rolled nicely behind the brown.

Carter couldn’t convert the follow-up shot and after a miss on the brown he attempted to meet with a cut-in on the green, Allen returned to the table to polish off another decisive clearance for a two-frame cushion.

He continued to dominate with his third century of the day, adding to the one he produced in his earlier Group Four match against White, to open up a three-frame lead.

Carter was finally on the board in the final frame before the interval, hitting back with two half-centuries to halt Allen’s damaging progress.

But it was more of the same for Allen after the interval, who stepped up with a break of 108 to open up a three-frame lead.

The Northern Ireland star marched towards a spot in the last four when he wrapped up the sixth frame to take a 5-1 lead, but Carter hit back remarkably to knock in a stunning tournament-high clearance of 143 to stay in the match.

With the deficit back to three and Allen still within a frame of victory, a close affair followed.

Allen took his time on a tricky red, bunched up over the bottom left pocket, which he missed, but fortunately didn’t leave Carter with much on.

The chaser could only play a safety shot with the yellow and Allen was in, clearing up to 98 to confirm his spot in the last four.

Allen moves on to the semi-finals, where he will play either Ronnie O’Sullivan, Zhang Anda, John Higgins or Chris Wakelin for a spot in Sunday’s final.

The Champion of Champions continues on Tuesday when world No. 3 Luca Brecel takes on European Masters champion Barry Hawkins, and British Open winner Mark Williams faces Welsh Open holder Robert Milkins.