Allen shoots Ruhr trophy

Mark Allen, the 2013 Ruhr Open champion

Mark Allen beat the recent-winner of the 2013 Shanghai Masters, Ding Junhui by 4-1, to win the Ruhr Open tournament (also known as European Tour Event Five), thus adding one more prestigious ranking-event-trophy to his other three.

He won the Haikou World Open in 2012, after an astonishing 10-1 victory over Stephen Lee, followed by another cracking win, this time of 10-4 over Welshman Matthew Stevens in the following year. 

The 2012 Antwerp Open trophy was also destined to carry his name, and a year before that he kept us on our tenterhooks while he was cue-crossing with Judd Trump in the UK Championship. It wasn't to be a victorious day for him, but it surely pointed out what a talented player he is.
Still, his cue action seemed to suffer after winning in Haikou this year and that put quite a pressure on the young lad.

But all that is history now, as "The Pistol" hammered Ding Junhui, in a final that was almost a one-way stairway to heaven (that's a bit of Led Zeppelin for ya!)

Ding Junhui, the 2013 Ruhr Open runner-up

It all started pretty simple with a crystal-clear 76 break from Allen, break that was pretty much announcing the ominous: this was his day in paradise (the other one belongs to Phil Collins, of course).

But Ding fought back, he had one hell of a journey during the semi-final against Stephen Maguire, so he wasn't willing to give up the fight. So, due to a long red missed by Allen, Ding stormed in.

Unfortunately for him the break was stopped at 55 by a missed red to the left middle-pocket, thus Allen returning for a nice and cosy 48. It wasn't enough to win him this frame, but the following 14 points and a seven-point foul by Ding, did the trick.

A marvellous and perfect 100 break was shaping Allen's way towards the victory line, as the scoreboard was now showing a worrying 3-0 scoreline, but China's Wonder-Lad had one more ace to play.

Runs of 40 and 32 were giving Ding his first frame of the final, but soon enough he would find out it was also the last one.

The lads and the trophy

Allen closed the deal with breaks of 20 and 74, potting one of the most beautiful long reds that I've even seen when reaching 51.

In the short interview that the ever-so-over-excited Rolf Kalb took from Mark, the North-Ireland player explained that he's been working really hard together with his coach on his technique, but also on the mental attitude when he's playing. Seems to me like all that hard work, has paid off.

On the blue corner, Ding admitted that even though he managed to come back in the match he played against the Scottish player Stephen Maguire, he'd played poorly in the final and Allen punished him for each mistake he made.

So hopefully Mark will go with a very positive note on his mind to play in the first ever Indian Open ranking event, due to start on October the 14^th. See you in New Delhi, dearies!