Mark Allen recovers to edge past Dave Gilbert at World Grand Prix, Zhou Yuelong beats Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

Mark Allen reeled off three straight frames as he fought back from an early deficit to beat Dave Gilbert 4-2 at the World Grand Prix in Cheltenham, while Zhou Yuelong also qualified for the last 16 with a 4-3 win against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Allen and Gilbert’s opener was not one of the better frames you will see this year, with both players struggling for fluency out of the traps.

Ultimately it was Gilbert who erred once too often, leaving Allen to wrap up the frame and the early lead.

And when Gilbert levelled after getting ahead early on in frame two, the 1-1 scoreline felt like a fair reflection.

After the scratchy beginning, finally there was a break of some substance, with Gilbert getting in with a 68 after sinking a long red.

That was brought to a close when he miscued and fouled, but it was enough to win the frame.

Allen’s highest break at the end of the third was a paltry 18, but some green shoots showed themselves in the Northern Irishman’s game in the next, as he edged the safety battle and got himself ahead in the score.

And when he got in again, he was able to edge far enough clear to nab the frame, and make it two frames apiece.

Suddenly it was an Allen revival. In the next frame he sunk a long red and went on to compile a terrific, unexpected 133 which featured a beautiful two-cushion shot that broke up the pack.

3-2 then, and now it was Gilbert who needed to respond in frame six, with Allen just one from victory.

But the momentum was with the man from Antrim, and he racked up a 40-point lead to leave Gilbert staring into the abyss.

However he ran out of position to let Gilbert back in, and after an outrageous fluke on a long red, the Englishman pulled back his deficit to lead by five.

The final red remained, and both players missed opportunities to pot it with nerves perhaps starting to tell.

But finally Allen, when given another sighter of it, hammered it into the top corner pocket and then proceeded to clear up to the pink ball, at which point Gilbert shook hands.

Over on the other table at The Centaur were Zhou and Un-Nooh.

The 37-year-old Thai took the opener against his Chinese opponent, but Zhou stormed back with a century in frame two to level things up.

1-1 became 2-2, and from there Zhou went 3-2 up in a tight encounter.

Un-Nooh fought back though, and forced a decider with some of his best snooker of the night.

But the 24-year-old Zhou responded in kind, hitting his second ton of the night to seal a 4-3 win and book his place in the last 16.

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