Snooker star Mark Allen left Stephen Hendry baffled at the UK Championship on Monday evening after struggling to get out of first gear during his clash with Scott Donaldson. The Northern Irishman, who won the tournament in 2022, was second best throughout the encounter as he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the world No. 52.
Allen had been expected to dispatch Donaldson, but saw the match slip away from him early on as he fell 3-0 behind. The 39-year-old got himself on the board in the fourth frame but then lost the final three frames as he was ultimately beaten 6-1.
The match proved to be laborious, with one frame lasting an hour, and another taking around 50 minutes to complete. Allen was unable to get going as he missed pots, with the talented ace allowing his opponent to have plenty of time at the table.
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