Snooker legend Steve Davis issues verdict on Mark Allen's World Championship Crucible chances

The undisputed king of the sport in the 1980s, six-time World Champion Davis was talking about Allen's chances in a recent interview with BBC Radio Ulster.

A guest on the Connor Phillips Show several days ago, Davis said of Allen's Crucible prospects: "He's got all the credentials now.

"He's got the game, and he's got enough bottle. That's the one thing you can't really teach. He's got grit and he's got determination."

Allen - who is now 39-years-old - is two-thirds of the way to completing a career 'Triple Crown' and joining one of professional snooker's most exclusive clubs.

In 2018 at the Alexandra Palace in London, Allen defeated Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the final to win the sport's most prestigious invitational event for the first time, the Masters.

Nearly five years later, 'The Pistol' secured his maiden UK Championship title - the second most prestigious ranking event on the circuit - when he recovered from 6-1 down in the final to Ding Junhui, recording a 10-7 victory.

That UK triumph at the Barbican Centre in York came during the most successful spell of Allen's career. Between October 2022 to February 2024, Allen won five ranking event titles and claimed the invitational Champion of Champions.

Because of Allen's sustained consistency on tour, he rose to the top of the world rankings following the 2024 World Championship, becoming only the 12th player in the history of professional snooker to be the world number one. He was also the first cueist from Northern Ireland to have the honour, something fellow countrymen and former world champions Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor were unable to achieve.

Allen began this 2024/25 season at the top of the global standings, although he didn't spend long there - 16 weeks to be exact - as Judd Trump overtook him in August 2024.

It has been a little bit of a frustrating term for Allen, who has had to defend huge amounts of prize money from his ranking total. As a consequence, he has slipped down to number eight in the pecking order.

On several occasions he has been involved at the business end of tournaments; he made a maximum 147 break on his way to reaching the semi-finals of the British Open, and either side of the new year period he made at least the semi-finals of five out of six events.

Allen has added to his trophy collection this season, though, winning the invitational Riyadh Season Championship in Saudi Arabia just before Christmas.

However, since making the last four of the Masters in January, Allen has won only two matches on the circuit and his confidence has been sapped.

Following a 4-2 first round exit to Jimmy Robertson at the recent World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, Allen took to social media and said that he hoped he didn't qualify for the subsequent Players Championship.

He did make the cut for the Telford-based competition - of which he was the reigning champion - but went out in the opening round to World Champion Wilson. The result meant he didn't qualify for the 12-player Tour Championship in Manchester.

Recent results may not be ideal for Allen, but good form isn't always a indicator of a deep run at the World Championship in Sheffield. Wilson went to the Crucible last year having failed to qualify for either the Players or Tour Championship that season, but ended up walking away with snooker's blue riband title.

Mark Allen’s World Snooker Championship record

Allen is preparing to make his 19th appearance at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield - all of those have come consecutively since his debut there in 2007.

In his first match at the hallowed arena, qualifier Allen defeated number three seed and former champion Ken Doherty 10-7 in the opening round before bowing out to Matthew Stevens 13-7 in round two (last 16).

In 2009, Allen was a Crucible seed for the first time. After winning his opening match, he defeated defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-11 in the last 16 and went on to the semi-finals where he was eliminated by eventual title winner John Higgins 17-13.

Allen had to wait 14 years for his second outing to the one-table set-up where he bowed out to Mark Selby 17-15 in a lengthy and gruelling last four affair in 2023.

The Antrim player has got to the quarter-finals on three other occasions (2010, 2011, 2018). In 2024, he was pipped by Higgins on the final black of an epic round two tie.

Despite having yet to reach the world final, Davis believes Allen's time could be now by also saying: "His stock has risen. He takes that on board and he is doing all the right things. He has given himself every chance.

"He's pretty self-effacing, I like the fact he doesn't get ahead of himself."