Jamie Clarke stuns Mark Allen at the World Snooker Championship as Shaun Murphy also crashes out
Mark Allen is out of the 2020 World Snooker Championship after he was beaten 10-8 by world number 89 Jamie Clarke in the opening round on Tuesday.
Despite making a record-equalling five centuries, the world number four was ousted by the Welsh debutant, who recovered from 6-4 down to cause one of the biggest shocks in Crucible history.
Having only secured his tour card by booking his first appearance in the final stages of snooker’s blue-riband event, Clarke is also guaranteed £30,000 for reaching the Last 16 – the biggest pay cheque of his career to date.
Arriving at the Crucible off the back of reaching the Tour Championship final and a further six semi-finals during the 2019-20 season, Allen made a flying start with back-to-back centuries of 136 and 105.
Nevertheless Clarke, who beat the likes of Joe Perry and Akani Songsermsawad to qualify, responded brilliantly with a 136 on the way to winning the next three frames and edging his nose in front.
Back came the Pistol with consecutive breaks of 122 and 104, before going 5-3 up on a re-spotted black.
He followed that up with a 105 in the first frame of the evening session giving him his fifth break over 100 – equalling the record for a first-round match at the Crucible.
However, the Welshman hit back by winning the next four frames – two on the pink and a run of 80 – to surge 8-6 ahead.
Aiming to avoid a second successive first-round exit, Allen rallied with 59 and 76 as he won two of the next three frames, but Clarke held his nerve to control the 18th and book a second-round date with Anthony McGill.
Shaun Murphy was the other big-name casualty on day five in Sheffield, as he lost 10-4 against an inspired Noppon Saengkham.
Crucible king in 2005, world number 10 came unstuck against the player ranked 32 places below him.
Leading 5-4 overnight, Saengkham built on his momentum as he reeled off five consecutive frames with runs of 53, 63, 52, 60 and 76 helping him become only the third player from Thailand – after James Wattana and Dechawat Poomjaeng – to win a match in Sheffield.
His reward is a showdown with three-time World champion Mark Selby, who avoided a brief scare to beat debutant Jordan Brown 10-6.
The Jester was pegged back to 7-6 from 7-4 up against the Antrim cueist, but eventually pulled clear to see out the victory.
Elsewhere, Tour Championship winner Stephen Maguire has work to do after falling 7-2 against a red-hot Martin Gould.
The Scotsman had no answer for the former German Masters champion, who rattled in four centuries as well as runs of 77 and 83 to move to within three frames of the second round.
Former finalist Barry Hawkins also holds a 7-2 overnight advantage against Swiss debutant Alexander Ursenbacher.
Runner-up at the Crucible in 2013, the Hawk lost the opening frame but won seven of the next eight with a top run of 70 to take command of the contest.
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World Snooker Championship 2020 Results
*Indicates final session
Tuesday August 4
First Round
Mark Allen 8-10 Jamie Clarke
Shaun Murphy 4-10 Noppon Saengkham
Mark Selby 10-6 Jordan Brown
Stephen Maguire 2-7 Martin Gould (Resumes Wednesday)
Barry Hawkins 7-2 Alexander Ursenbacher (Resumes Wednesday)