BBC snooker presenter Hazel Irvine has apologised to Mark Allen live on air after bringing up his missed black in the semi-final against Wu Yize.
Allen had the chance to book a place in his first World Championship final with a routine shot at the black, however fluffed his lines and went on to lose to .
Mark Allen missed a golden opportunity to book a place in his first World Championship final Credit: Reuters
BBC presenter Hazel Irvine apologised after bringing it up in today’s final coverage Credit: Getty
Irvine referenced Allen’s in today’s coverage of the .
She said: ” I still cannot watch Mark Allen’s missed black, I am really sorry Mark.”
Before former player and pundit John Parrott added: “Unbelievable. If you are watching pal, I am still hurting for you. I am absolutely am, I have never seen anything like it.”
In the penultimate frame on a drama-filled night, Allen only needed to sink the final black after Wu, 22, had missed the last pink.
Yet even though the black was on its spot – the type of shot he would have hit successfully a thousand times in the past – the star could not sink it under the most extreme pressure.
Irvine also mentioned how : “But the grace in which he took that was extraordinary, wasn’t it?”
Following his gutting loss, Allen said to the BBC: “You don’t deserve to be in a world final if you’re missing balls like that. That was pure pressure to be honest.
“Normally I’m pretty good under pressure but I just didn’t handle it well today. I had two or three good chances to close out the match and didn’t do it, so credit to Wu.
Hazel Irvine apologised to Mark Allen live on air Credit: BBC
“Even though I’m devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the final.
“All credit to Wu, if he doesn’t win this one, he’s going to win many world titles.”
Wu leads Shaun Murphy 13-12 ahead of tonight’s evening session which will conclude the 2026 World Championship.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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