From the first ball of the 2022-23 snooker season, you could tell that Mark Allen meant business. Having done some serious soul-searching in the off-season, and having sorted some of the distractions in his personal life, he came into the campaign with a fresh mindset. He has also sported a new lean figure, the result of a change in eating habits that has led to a remarkable change in physique. This was a player that, having been in the doldrums for a while, was now reborn.
Allen is one of snooker’s unique personalities. He is a pugnacious character, unafraid to speak his mind, and that tenacity has always bled into his game. A free-flowing attacking player, he is also one of the most determined on the table, and from the start of this season it was clear that all the facets of his game had been ratcheted up a few notches.
Despite losing the final of the British Open to Ryan Day back in September, it was clear that Allen’s form was trending in the right direction, and the snooker odds reflected that. He followed up that disappointment by defending his Northern Ireland Open title in Belfast, playing sensationally en route to a 9-4 win over Zhou Yuelong in the final.
He backed that up a month later by winning the UK Championship for the first time, triumphing in a hard-fought final against Ding Junhui, and from there it was clear that Allen was going to be the man of the season. In January, victory in the World Grand Prix secured a third ranking title of the campaign, and Allen was rising up the rankings at a rapid pace.
Even when he hasn’t been winning events, he’s been consistently reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals, to the point where he has amassed over £500,000 in prize money this season alone. That puts him comfortably at the top of the one-year ranking list, and third in the overall world rankings.
It’s been a great season for the Northern Irishman, but you get the sense that his performance at the upcoming World Championship will ultimately define his campaign. The Crucible Theatre is a venue where Allen has a woeful record, reaching just one semi-final all the way back in 2012. For some reason, he’s never been able to bring his best form to Sheffield, but this could be the year where that changes, with the 37-year-old one of the favourites in the snooker World Championship 2023 odds.
Allen appears to have a newfound belief in himself this season, whilst developing a style where he can win without necessarily playing at his best. That is one of the key attributes needed to succeed in the 17-day snooker marathon that is the World Championship.
The underperformance of some of the game’s other stars this season could also work in Allen’s favour. The likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson and John Higgins have failed to produce the goods in this campaign, and the door is certainly open for someone to upset the apple cart in Sheffield.
Whatever happens, Allen has had a fine season, but you get the sense that he will view it as a huge disappointment if he doesn’t do himself justice at the Crucible.
