The Bravest ‒ final frames | Mark Allen vs John Higgins | 2024 World Championship L16

23rd frame. Mark Allen to break. Quite an aggressive break off for Mark Allen. He plays quite a thick contact off the reds and that's a risky take. One comes back up to this end of the table and I think this is on to left middle. Probably take the cue ball in and out of bulk. One. I'm not sure if it's a natural angle to pot the blue and come off two cushions. The red that's closest to the right cushion and just drop on that to the right corner. Yeah, nicely played. Looking at the angle because he's playing it back into a blind pocket. He's looking away from the pocket as you can see there. Seven. A couple of times but safely in. Can drop on the red that's just above the black. He really wanted to be straight on this because the black's available into the left corner. Now he might have to play the cannon which will help. 13. Another delicate cannon required. The red that he just moved there is available so he doesn't have to hit this too hard. Playing for the pink this time which makes it easier to get on the two reds. There might be another one. 27. I think there's just the two that's available into the right corner. 28. Played perfectly and he can choose what he wants to do here. He can go into the bunch. He can play for that single red. Into the bunch it is and how's your luck? He's lost the white a little bit. That's not the cannon he was after there Stephen. No, it didn't play as well. He knows he didn't play this well. He wanted to be hit that red full in the face or even just to the right of the red as we look. Didn't get into the cube all enough. It was the right shot again. Is he tempted by the double? He's one of the best players we've ever had in the game of playing a double. He's ready to take it on and leave things safe but if the red catches the jaw you're never sure where it's going to finish. 1. A little awkward here. This still needs a good shot but we've seen so many times this player under pressure how good he is. 5. And he made that look easy. It just shows you this game and we're dealing fractions. Fractions of millimetres of precision. If John Higgins hits that bunch of reds a millimetre to the right of where he did he probably opens the reds up. Creates an opportunity and a good chance he would have won the frame in that visit but as I say that millimetre or two out of position makes such a difference at this level. 13. 14. They're also covering each other into the other corner pocket so not straightforward just yet. Might be after this next shot. There's one that just passes into the right corner. 29. But he could have done with the cue ball being a bit further. And look what's happened there. Just shows you the tension of the crucible theatre. I'm not getting on that resi intended. And the one consolation he hasn't left anything easy for John. Yeah if he wasn't bridging over the green he would have played the right hand side of those two reds. He'd have gone for that one into the right corner pocket. I just made sure he got a good cue ball but he's anxiously looking as Mark to see if the brown has covered everything. Didn't want to cannon the black though. John Higgins won. Very well played from the other side of the arena. Now we've got a problem. And a miss. Mark Allen. Because he'd be warned and if he misses it this time he'll lose the frame. There is a shot on that I can't remember who played it earlier in the competition. When it's tight on the cushion the ball you hit it full ball and it double kisses it back up the table but he can get back round off this one that's near the black spot. He hit it too thick. Wasn't a difficult escape that you know. Yeah I just didn't I don't think he wanted to aim even quarter ball and then flick a bit of side on unwanted side and miss it completely. He's played this well. Beautifully judged. Six. Seven. Needs to keep rolling this one. He's come up short. Now he's got to force it in. That's a pretty good effort. Yeah that was a beautiful strike of the cue ball and under this pressure it's so hard to deliver the cue right through the cue ball smoothly because your grip in hand just seems to get tighter and tighter unintentionally. Well he needs a good kiss here and he hasn't had it. 18. He's had a quick look at the scoreboard. He's 21 in front so he's going to need both reds. That's the sort of path that he could take to get in behind the pink but he'd be wary of the red also but he's going the other way. He's made sure he kept the red safe. Mark Allen 18. Didn't want to play the shot Dennis suggested. I think he was scared of putting a red on taking the black out and or the other red. Is he taking this on with a red on the side cushion? That's a bit of insurance. Pushing the pink safe refusing that pot because of the difficult last red. That's not the best from John Higgins. 22 the difference. That might be in behind the brown. This play did well. Now how does he play this? Does he play it just dead wet? He does. Well will he be tempted to take this up the cushion? He's left-handed. He only needs this in the blue. This could be a frame winner. He's got a lot of pot on this player. Mark Allen some of the tactical play has been world-class. That's why he's having the success he's having in the game. He's such a tough competitor. Such a difficult player to beat. He's got every aspect of the game. Six. It's not very often you see someone completely dominate John Higgins in a tactical exchange. That's exactly what Mark Allen's done in this frame. Mark Allen six. One snooker needed. It's not a bad effort. The pink's not too bad for getting snookers behind. The black is totally out of the game. Very clever. He's moved the green. Has he fluked a snooker? I don't think. He sacrificed where the yellow was going to go. 20. No he doesn't. That's one of the best frames that Mark Allen has played in this year's championship. Goes one up with two to play at 12-11. Well I'm sure John Higgins has got plenty left in the tank. But is he going to get a chance? That's the question. It's a pretty good break off. He's got a good cue ball. Is that a plant? I wonder. I'm not so sure. There is space between the two reds. Close enough to squeeze Dennis. I think it's a squeeze shot. You have to hit it on the opposite side to you think. He's had a look at it. He doesn't fancy it. He went for gold there didn't he? Mark Allen with that goal for that red off John Higgins' break off. If he'd putted that, it was right on the black on the chance to win the match. Well that certainly opened the reds up. That is what you would say throwing down the gauntlet. Boy is this a big shot. You can see enough of the brown. So much at stake for John Higgins here in this tense crucible theater. If this man walking around the table was to lose this match, he'd be out of the top 16 which is unthinkable. But none of those thoughts in his head. All he's got thoughts on is winning this match. 11. Pink totally out of commission at the moment. 16. He's straight enough to be able to get through for the blue here. He had to leave himself the wrong side of it though. Get through for the black this time. John Higgins 22. The potential of squeezing this plant you know. Mark's having a look at it but he's quickly going away from it. He has developed into one of the best tactical players in the game. He's up against one in John Higgins but Mark Allen now is as good a tactical player as the game's ever seen. That's why he's having the success he's having. Tricky one he's faced with a little bit of pressure on this one. Just getting up and getting back down again. Fortunate he was on the black at one stage there until that red come off the cushion and flicked it. Now he's on the black there and that red comes and knocks the black safe. He's got to hide this red that's over the corner pocket. Higgins one. This must take you back Stephen to the 80s when the 90s dominated the snooker. Late night tension at the crucible. You've had a few of these. Yes nothing better. This frame could become a stalemate with this red over the right corner pocket. Yeah when you look back on nights like this they were incredible but when you're actually out there at the time you're not enjoying it really. You're not thinking you're enjoying it. You're just wrapped up in the in the concentration and the atmosphere of it. You haven't got time to sort of stop and think it's fun. And all of a sudden the safety area is over that left side of the table. Did well to cover both those reds. You talked about a stalemate. I was just thinking Dennis this match it's the titanic struggle and whoever wins is going to come out tomorrow and start all over again in another three session match. That's the marathon of the crucible isn't it? That's why it's the biggest test. He's going to put the onus on John to maybe try and do something different. Yeah put a little circle up there. Okay you put the cue ball there you're leaving these two reds to the right corner but there's just no chance of getting on a colour. Mark's just as Dennis said quite happy just to keep tapping the cue ball into the balls because he he'd love a re-rack. I used to love frames like this Dennis. It's one of those if they just keep doing this the referee Paul Collier could say to them this is a deliberate miscue so that he doesn't. That's you know that's a wonderful shot he just played. First player to do that I hope he's watching. Do you remember Ian McCulloch from Preston? The first one I ever seen playing a little escape where he miscued there when he was close to the ball. He's trying to get the cue ball to the ball cushion. Yeah great shot. We'll probably pop this red but there'll be no colour coming after it. One. Well I said there'd be no colour coming after it. He's done incredibly well to get the cue ball that far up the table. I think if we have another look at it Mark potted the red into the right side of the pocket which give him a chance to get the white up to where he did. Just watch where the red goes here. Not right in the centre of the pocket it goes in off the right knuckle and that gives him a chance to get back up the table. Oh what a bonus the black goes as well. Wow so a shot that John thought would have just cost him one point could cost him the match. I will say from that distance there's no way Mark Allen has deliberately potted the red in the pocket from the knuckle. He was just making sure of potting the red but it has given him a chance to win the match. He's over hit this. A little bit of adrenaline maybe. But he needs some sort of cannon now. I don't think it's perfect. He may be able to screw straight up the table off the yellow. What a shot this will be. Yeah he's got an angle to do that. How's your luck Mark? Not the best and there's no red that'll go past the one that's over the pocket. 19. Well he's smiling away and he couldn't have left it any more awkward. He thought I'll have a go it's a big pocket I might go in off the other red and what did he do? He cut it straight into the pocket. Well as you can clearly see the black's tied up, the blue's tied up, the pink's awkward. If he plays over to sort of cannon the blue that could work. He's got the cannon on the blue. He didn't want to cannon the red. That has spoiled it. He was hoping to just slip past this red. 29. Mark Allen 29. And that is pretty good. That's an excellent shot from where he was. Playing it as if he was snookered here. Although he can hit the reds near the black. Twice across. Gotta miss the blue and the pink. He's misjudged it. Foul and the miss. Mark Allen free ball. Do you know it's a free ball? He can't hit the reds on both sides. Can he pop this red? Well he could. That could be a mistake because if John Higgins gets on the blue in such a way he can cannon the two reds and black out. He's anxious but he's on the blue and what a huge shot coming up here. He could bring the two reds and the black into play here. Just drop it in. The tension here is unbearable. Can he get over near that circle to leave it as easy as possible? Doesn't want to hit the blue. He bows his head. John Higgins 14. On the table if he has picked that out that is the shot of the championship. He's run out of position but that shot on the red. Let's have another look at this. On the way he walked around the table told me he attempted that. Yeah and the speed he played it out because if you're just you had a dead weight surely just to hit the red. Oh he's got John Higgins in a lot of trouble here or is there a gap? Mark Allen six. Well what a tense finish to this frame here. Is he playing for a double? Two. We kissed the blue otherwise he was going to take the double on. Mark Allen. Those two frames is some of the best safety play I've ever seen. It really is has been incredible from Mark Allen. That is unlucky. That is very unfortunate. Does he have to go up and down the table for the brown? The green is tight in the cushion. Do you risk dragging it in slowly? If you go up and down the table you may collide with the pink. That's what he tried. Oh look with the greens going. The blonde, the blue and the pink. I think the pink does pot in the left middle but again you'd have to be right in behind it. That was phenomenal. As Stephen mentioned the pink. Seven. It's not a gimme you've got to get it anywhere near that circle and all he has to do is just drop the pink in. What a shot the green was. This needs a good shot. It's a tight angle. The score. We've got a one frame shootout. It's 12 each. Well said Hazel. This would have been a marvellous final. As long as you get one chance in the deciding frame that's all you want. He thought he had that you know. That facial expression tells you he thought he'd got it. Yeah he can make this and this is a very good chance. Yeah it's just finished short on the red that he was planning to play. He can't avoid canning the black. Seven. Under intense pressure. Normally if you get past the sort of first sort of four or five pots that's so often be the time when you miss. Once you get through that stage then you start to loosen up and get in a bit of a rhythm. Eleven. We've got a few available reds and the one next to the black will come into play in a few shots time. Eighteen. So he's kind of got through the first sort of nervy stage and he's he's in he's in the break now. Try and screw the cue ball to the right side of the table through the pack. There it goes. Hit it beautifully. Still a shake of the head. Twenty-six. I can only assume because in Potton is ready can't avoid contact with the black. Well he played that beautifully. He took his time there. That may have looked straightforward but that had to be so precise there. Yeah he really nipped the cue ball beautifully there. As I say he did make contact with the black but if he didn't hit that as precise. Thirty-four. He wouldn't have got the cue ball past it. What a chance. Again fractions. John Higgins thought he'd potted a long red. Missed it by. Thirty-five. Literally a millimeter and will he get another shot? Well he knows that his opponent is at the table and he knows that this opponent has got so much bottle. He's definitely not afraid to get past the winning this player. Still reds available without having to think about a cannon. Noise from the other table but he doesn't hear anything. He's in the zone at the moment. Forty-eight. Forty-nine. Perfectly played. Well this is wonderful stuff. Fifty-six. Fifty-seven. This could be the key coming right up now. How's the cannon? It looks as if it's okay. Sixty-two. No he's overcut it. More drama but I think the pink's coming for the rescue. The other red won't pass the one that's over the pocket but if that red goes in the match would have been over. He's not looking at the double on the red. He's sixty-two behind. Is he looking at this double on the red? This if he takes it on must go. Doesn't go in. It's his last shot. Well that's one of the bravest shots I've ever seen. What a shot. If you're John Higgins you're sat in your chair with marks in especially when you see the cannon off the blue you think that was that was Scotland the brave right Dennis? What a finish we could have on our hands here. Sixteen. Seventeen. Much easier to get to the two reds from the pink. Twenty-three. Twenty-four. It's okay the red's available into the left corner as well. Wow the tension is unbearable here. Mark Allen was just one shot with the rest away from a place in the quarterfinal but that double that John Higgins pulled out to give him this chance was amazing. Thirty-two. John what have you done? He smiles. Watch where the red goes off the left jaw. He pots in the middle. He's perfect on the black. He can't get on the red. Well I'm saying he can't get on the red. He's on it but it's a horrible shot. It certainly is a horrible shot as Stephen says. That's what he's faced with. Now he's as he cleared out the disappointment of not being on this red properly to pot it. He just pulled out there. Praise. What a break this has been. Not over just yet. There's so much pressure on every shot here. How many times has he done this in his career? Forty-nine. This is the key one. It's always brown to blue. He's played it perfectly. Fifty-three. Unbelievable. Mark well what a match he has played here. Fifty-eight. The black to keep him in this year's world championship and to keep him in the top 16 in the world. What a frame of snooker.