Northern Ireland Open: Mark Allen retains title with 9-4 win over Zhou Yuelong

Mark Allen won eight successive frames to retain the Northern Ireland Open title as he clinched a 9-4 victory over China's Zhou Yuelong in Belfast.

Home hero Allen, 36, looked in some trouble as Zhou led 4-1 helped by a 135 total clearance in frame four.

But runs of 68, 44 and 55 helped Allen level by the end of this first session as Zhou's play became ragged.

Allen started the evening session with breaks of 53 and 85 to move 6-4 up and Zhou couldn't summon up a response.

A break of 50 helped extend Allen's lead to 7-4, with a fluked red clinching the frame for the Northern Irishman, and he moved four up with five to play by taking the next prior to the mid-session interval.

As was the case through the match, Zhou, seeking his first ranking tournament triumph after defeats in the finals at the European Masters and Shootout events in 2020, had his chances to hit back in frame 13.

But the 24-year-old couldn't take the opportunites and Allen's break of 109 secured him a seventh ranking title after his defeat by Ryan Day in the British Open final earlier this month.

Allen, who shed four stone over the summer "for the good of my health and my family", exuded a zen-like claim throughout Sunday's final as fought back from some scrappy play early to get on terms by the end of the first session.

"I wasn't playing good but I was trying to remain as positive as I could," the Antrim man told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

"I was constantly thinking of positive thoughts. Good memories from my old matches. I felt like all those good thoughts got me out of that session 4-4.

'At 4-4, it felt like I was 6-2 up. I felt like that's where I won the match.

"He was playing immaculate safely and wasn't missing when in the balls. Maybe he felt that the chance was there for him at 4-1 but he missed one or two and let me back in and I never really looked back after that."

Allen's triumph was greeted by an euphoric home crowd at the Waterfront Hall who included members of his family and numerous friends.

"It means everything," added Allen.

"You know how proud a Northern Irishman I am and how much I want to do well here for the fans. To win two years in a row is something. I just didn't think this day was ever going to happen."

Prior to last year's 9-8 final triumph over John Higgins, when Allen won the last three frames, his best performance in the event was reaching a quarter-final.

This year's triumph earned him £80,000 as he again lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy.