Comeback king Burden downs Drago to reach World Seniors semis

Jonathan Davies in World Seniors Championship 10 May 2025

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Burden (right) produced a remarkable turnaround against Drago

Alfie Burden produced a remarkable turnaround on Friday to stun Tony Drago and book his place in the World Seniors Championship semi-finals.

The 2023 finalist looked set to bow out at 3-0 down against his good friend, but reeled off the next four frames to prevail on the final pink at The Crucible.

Ironically, Burden faced Drago on his only appearance in the main stages of the professional World Championship in 1998, suffering a narrow 10-8 defeat.

The Londoner, who ousted four-time World Seniors champion Jimmy White in round one, lost a tight opening frame this time around, and surrendered promising positions to lose the next two on re-spotted blacks.

Burden stopped the rot and kept his hopes alive with breaks of 53 and 51 in a further two closely fought frames, before dominating the sixth to force a decider.

It came down to the final pink and, after Drago’s loose safety left his opponent with a tempter from long-range, Burden knocked it in and let out a huge roar as he sealed his last-four place.

“I’ve had a miracle!” he said. “Tony’s such a class act. The way he plays, he puts you under so much pressure because he’s so natural and just pots balls out of nowhere. He beat me on two re-spots and I was bang under it.

“I never gave up. I dug in. I didn’t play well today at all, but I’m still in the tournament and I’ll play better [on Saturday], hopefully.”

There, he will play Hassan Kerde, who recovered from 2-1 down for a 4-2 victory over Ken Doherty’s conqueror in Charl Jonck, sealing it with a break of 85.

Elsewhere, Dominic Dale was in fine scoring form as he overcame Joe Perry 4-1 in a battle of the recently retired professionals – and two-time ranking event winners.

The Spaceman entered the arena sporting an overcoat and trilby hat – apparently in tribute to the late Alex Higgins – and opened with a break of 97, though Perry controlled the second frame to level.

However, Dale regained the lead with 99 and dominated frame four for 3-1, before rounding off victory with a superb 128 – his second century of the tournament.

Next up for him in the semi-finals will be Aaron Canavan, after the 2018 World Seniors champion overcame debutant Wayne Townsend, who dethroned reigning champion Igor Figueiredo in round one, 4-2.

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