Mark Allen has recently announced that he has withdrawn from participating in another ranking event due to personal reasons. This decision comes as his long absence from the professional world continues.
Long Absence from Competitions
The 40-year-old player has not competed in any matches since May when he lost in the semifinals of the World Championship to the eventual champion, Wu Yize. Since then, Allen has missed major events such as the Shanghai Masters, Championship League, China Open, Wuhan Open, UK Open, and English Open.
Allen had previously announced his withdrawal from international championship events and has now also withdrawn from the Shenzhen Open, which was scheduled to take place later this month. He was set to compete against Ben Mertens on September 28, but now the young Belgian player will advance to the next round.
High Prize Money Events
The Shenzhen Open, formerly known as the Xian Grand Prix, offers a prize of £177,000 to the winner. Despite Allen's multiple withdrawals, his absence from this event has been attributed to personal reasons, although the details of these issues have not been disclosed.
The World Snooker Tour has confirmed that they are in contact with Allen and are aware of his situation regarding his absence from the professional world. Allen has remained relatively silent during his time away from competitions, but when he withdrew from the events in China and Wuhan, he issued a brief statement apologizing to fans and organizers of those events.
In the statement, he said: "I am sorry that I cannot participate in these two events in China, and I apologize to the fans and organizers in Taiwan and Wuhan. I love playing in China and appreciate the ongoing support we have there, but for personal reasons, I cannot come this time. I hope to return to play in China later this season."
Allen's next opportunity to play at his home event will be the Northern Ireland Open, which will take place from October 18 to 25 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Allen has won this tournament twice in the past and reached the semifinals last year.
