Mark Allen edges English Open thriller over Zhou Yuelong
Allen pinched a 9-8 final in Brentwood as the WST finals continue to thrill
Lewis Watson 
Mark Allen and Zhou Yuelong made history on Sunday night in Brentwood, Essex.
For the first time in WST history, the last three ranking events have gone to a final-frame decider.
Allen 9-8 Yuelong joined Neil Robertson 10-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan and Xiao Guodong 10-9 Gary Wilson over the last two months, giving fans and spectators excellent value for money over the final two sessions.
After his win, Allen has opened up at a best price of 14/1 with betting sites to win the British Open which begins today.
Mark Allen wins Thrilling English Open
Northern Irishman, Allen, was the one celebrating this time around, however, leaving Yuelong disappointed despite a spirited comeback.
For long spells, it looked routine. Allen stormed to leads of 6-2 and then 7-3, dictating tempo and mood. Zhou, the 26-year-old talent reeled off five on the bounce in the second session, a stunning counterpunch to put the Chinese star 8-7 ahead.
With the match teetering after more than seven draining hours, Allen summoned his reserves and closed out the final two frames to record the 12th ranking title of his career.
"It means a lot," Allen said. "To win any tournament these days is good. To do it the way I’ve done this week too, coming from behind a lot.
"I was absolutely shattered. I think adrenaline got me through that first session and tonight I was really tired. It is no excuse for some of the balls I missed, but I was feeling it.
“I thought Zhou battled really hard in that second session — played some good stuff,” Allen admitted. “He put me under pressure. I missed a few balls and I was nervous. But at 8-7 I suddenly switched on a bit.
”That granite has become a trademark of the 39-year-old's game. “It’s a really good trait to have,” he said. “I don’t want to keep relying on it… but I felt as good as any part of the match in those last few frames.“I feel for Zhou. He probably deserved that for the character he showed."
Not only was this the third ranking final in a row to go the distance, but it was the fifth time in the tournament Allen had been dragged to a final-frame decider.
Stuart Bingham, Ding Junhui, Elliot Slessor, Jak Jones, all had their moments. All were edged out.
There's a quick turnaround for snooker betting on the tour as attention turns to this week's British Open in Cheltenham.
The unique format, no seeds and a randomised draw after every round, may lend itself to a shock winner inside The Centaur, with Mark Selby defending his crown following a 10-5 win over John Higgins in 2024.
Prior to that, the Welsh dominated the tournament that returned in 2021 for the first time since 2004, with Mark Williams (2) and Ryan Day scooping the previous three editions.
British Open Latest Betting
The British Open starts this week, and below are the latest odds on the event. We'll also be on the look out for any betting promotions we may find for this tournament, and highlight them on our dedicated page for promos.
