Snooker star Jack Lisowski couldn’t hide his frustration after losing yet again to Mark Allen in a tight contest at the Scottish Open in Edinburgh.
The 33-year-old led the early stages of the match and looked to be the favourite to seal the seven-frame encounter after listing breaks of 106 and 80 on his way to making it 3-3.
However, the class of Northern Irishman Allen showed as he refused to let go, twice coming from behind and racking up a 112 break in the fourth frame.
The world No 5 didn’t even need to do anything to win the game, however, as his opponent rolled over and handed the win to him on a silver platter after taking the lead with a 68 break in the final frame.
Lining up a shot on the red on the bottom-right pocket, Lisowski appeared to rush his preparation and paid the price, kissing the red against the cushion and moving it further away from the pocket.
In most cases, he would then wait for Allen to take his next shot, but Lisowski’s frustration got the better of him.
Instead of returning to his seat, ‘Jack-pot’ leaned over the table and dramatically picked up the blue ball, launching it into the pocket with his hand.
The move prompted laughter from the crowd inside the arena before they broke out into applause as the two players shook hands.
Such an offence would result in a four-point penalty, which Lisowski would’ve been fully aware of.
Instead of waiting to see if Allen potted the next red, he took matters into his own hands so to speak.
« That’s the end of that, Mark Allen does it again, » the commentator said, seemingly confused at why Lisowski had forced the end of the match in such a bizarre fashion.
How Allen won didn’t matter to him. It’s his sixth win in a row against Lisowski, underlining his dominance in their head-to-heads, and perhaps it was a sign of resignation from Lisowski that he knew he couldn’t beat him.
« It was a good game, a few mistakes but I thought it was a good game, » Allen told Eurosport. « The table was much tougher than it was the other day. »
About Lisowski, he added: « It’s frustrating because it’s obviously good when you’re playing against him. But as someone who really enjoys watching Jack play, you’re not going to know what to expect.
« He plays some unbelievable stuff but he missed one of the balls that you don’t expect at all. »
Allen will now face Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham, who beat Ali Carter 4-2, in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
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