Tour Championship snooker 2024 LIVE – Mark Allen meets John Higgins in blockbuster clash, Gary Wilson faces Mark Selby

Poor safety by Higgins left the long red, in it went and this has been the outcome. Allen forcing Higgins to take a seat. Chance of the first century of the match.

Delightful pot on a red by ‘The Pistol’ to left centre. Was such a tough angle, but made it look easy. Now has the black to work with. Would fancy him to see out the frame from here.

Poor safety by John. Which you don’t often see. And Mark punishes him by punching home a long red. In goes a plant on reds to continue break before blue to green bag disappears. Can he continue to press here? Very decent chance to build a healthy lead.

Wilson heading for a 5-2 lead against Selby on table two. Halfway up the hill. Has so far produced 95, 98, 78 and is on a run of 80 in the seventh frame.

Higgins finishes off the frame with red to left centre and a pink. That is enough for a 4-1 lead. Three more frames this afternoon. Leaving a possible 11 this evening. At the World Championship, they plough through nine frames in these two-session matches. Higgins needs one more frame to secure a lead from the first session, but would probably thank you for another two.

Chance for Higgins to finish off matters, but he can’t sink red from distance. Allen looking decidedly unhappy with his attempts to find this snooker so far.

Down to the final red, but Allen yet to discover the snooker he requires. Which will disappoint him as was a real chance near the black. Higgins 39 clear with a possible 35 on table. Suspect the final red will do job for John.

Higgins almost over the line with a break of 66, but Allen plays on for snookers as he slots a long red from distance using drag almost to hold for the black. Chance then to apply some pressure.

Gary Wilson edges a tight fifth frame by three points to move ahead by the odd frame in five.

This is vintage Higgins at the moment with Allen forced to digest his opponent potting balls. Suddenly in no time at all on the cusp of a 4-1 lead.

Boys back on the baize for the second round of this contest. No let up from Higgins, who has done really well to reach 21 at the outset of the fifth frame. Would dearly love to push on from here having established this lead.

A brilliant late colours cameo of 14 from John, who moves two frames for the first time in this match. Very encouraging signs for the four-time world champion.

Suddenly the pink is back in business in this frame. So nothing safe for whoever gets the next chance. Higgins with a fine shot to leave the yellow behind the blue. Allen does well to escape. Higgins left with shot to nothing and he drops in the yellow across the table. In goes the green down the length of the table, and he is on brown. Looks like 3-1.

Well, drama in this frame as Higgins produces a knock of 55, but ends up hitting the pink first in potting the final red. Was very tight margins. So still life in this frame yet. Down to the colours with the pink on a side rail. And a rare tactical battle in this match.

A super contribution of 98 from Gary Wilson in the fourth frame to restore parity at 2-2. They head off for a cuppa for 15 minutes. Another five frames to be played in the first session this afternoon.

Mark with an excellent long red, but can’t make good on gaining access to the table. Goes for another tough red seconds later, but doesn’t drop and sticks up a red over the top right-hand pocket. Higgins slams that down the rigging and is out perfectly on the blue. Is this going to be the big counter punch? Nothing safe on the table.

Allen with a solid run of 34, but can’t get the pack open off the green. And is forced to cut his losses with a safety shot to baulk.

Allen first to the punch in the fourth frame of this contest. Forced to produce an excellent recovery pot on black using rest to remain at table. Faced with a long red down table to yellow bag. And it doesn’t touch the sides. Early doors in this match, but both men look right in the mood to make the most of their opportunities.

Higgins finishes with a classy 68 to go with his earlier 49 to move 2-1 ahead in the race to 10. Certainly racing through these frames so far. Break-building all the rage. As it should be at such an elite event.

Four-time world champion Selby produces 85 in the third frame to move 2-1 clear of Scottish Open champion Wilson.

This frame soon to become a historical fact. One more frame to come before the mid-session interval. Has been a real quality encounter so far with Higgins holding sway early on.

And the answer is no as he quickly loses the white ball. Red to right centre stays up, and Higgins can return to the baize. One more cannon needed to open up the remaining reds. Slots blue, and all the reds are opened up. Looks like 2-1 in the post for John.

Tough pot facing Higgins on a red to left middle, and he looks on in anguish as the red comes back out. So close to that one, but near is nowhere in snooker. A reprieve for Allen, but a decent lead for the Wishaw player, who then compounds the miss by sticking up a red for Allen after failing to escape from a snooker. Is the counter on here?

A poor break-off shot by Allen in the third frame, and Higgins is all over a red to the centre like a rash. Will Allen by punished for that unforced error? The Scotsman quickly up to 29, but can’t get the pack of reds open off black. He then picks out a brilliant recovery pot on red to left middle to remain in the hunt. This is very nice from John.

Wilson with a break of 95 in the second frame to level up against the Leicester player at 1-1.

Some lovely pots in that contribution from the four-time world champion. Including an excellent pink to left centre from an acute angle. No century, but 85 of the very best gets the job done every day of the week. And battle is joined at 1-1. The juices flowing between two of the finest cue artists on the planet.

This time Allen goes for broke with a long red. Nowhere near the potting angle and is going to be punished it seems for the error of his ways as Higgins gets hand on table and goes to work from close range. Looking very sharp indeed. These boys not hanging around so far today.

A 16-minute opening frame is won by Allen as he rolls in 69 points before a brown to right middle eludes him. No matter. Higgins concedes, and first move of the day is made by Mark. Making his mark, if you like.

The Northern Irishman looking to make ground here at this scoring visit. Passes the half-century mark with a fine recovery pot on a pink using the rest. Reaching the business end of this frame with Allen not far from the winning post as a red to right centre drops down the hole. Looks good now for a 1-0 lead.

Higgins tries to pick out a long red, but is way off the potting angle. Leaves a red to right centre pocket. Which Allen quickly gobbles up. And lands nicely on yellow too. So first chance of Easter Monday belongs to the Antrim man.

Off we go then for the first frame of a possible 19 with the winner in line to meet Ding Junhui in the quarter-finals and possibly Judd Trump in the last four. No easy matches in this event. Allen goes for a long red to the yellow pocket, but inches off the potting angle. Higgins happy to keep it tight.

Monday, April 1 (All UK times, schedule subject to change)

13:00 (best of 19 frames)

• Mark Allen v John Higgins
• Gary Wilson v Mark Selby

• Mark Allen v John Higgins
• Gary Wilson v Mark Selby

Welcome to the opening day of the Tour Championship in Manchester. A 6-5 win for Mark Allen in the last 16 of the Masters in January, but Higgins has since enjoyed two 5-2 wins at the German Masters (last 16) and Welsh Open (quarter-finals) so very evenly poised between two blokes who are friends away from the table. Allen 12-11 ahead on the career head-to-heads to illustrate how tough this is to call. First man to 10 frames will reach the last eight of the Tour Championship.

The Tour Championship begins in earnest on Monday when Mark Allen faces John Higgins and Gary Wilson takes on Mark Selby – both matches are live from 13:00 UK time.

Luca Brecel experienced an eventful Sunday as his car was towed away before winning the World Mixed Doubles title with Reanne Evans.

“I parked my car in the wrong place and it got taken away, so I had to go and get it just before the final and then just about made it back in time,” he told ITV Sport. “Crazy story. But luckily, I made it in time.

“I started off well and played a bit better than before, but not as good as I would have liked.

“It was still good enough to win, but I’m still not happy with the way we played. I guess Reanne will say the same, but I’m really happy to win this great tournament.

“I was already feeling much better in my game the last few months and winning this title helps a lot. Now I’m now really looking forward to Sheffield [World Championship].”

Meanwhile, it was a landmark evening for Evans after adding to her 12 world titles with Mixed Doubles success.

“[It’s] most definitely [special] – 22 years to play on TV and win a final,” she added.

“I know Luca carried me a little bit, and if I had known, I’d have towed his car right at the start of yesterday if he played like that.

“I’ve been playing a long time and it’s fantastic to be lifting a trophy and play in a final like this alongside all these great players.

“The crowd have been fantastic as well and I’ve really enjoyed myself. Yes, we didn’t play amazingly; we played a little bit better in the final and hopefully we can come back and try again.”