ALLEN SHEDS DISAPPOINTMENT TO WOW FANS

Mark Allen did himself a lot of credit after what must have been a difficult defeat to Stuart Bingham in the Shanghai Masters final for all sorts of reasons. First and foremost he looked flat from the start, gave himself a big mountain to climb and then missed chances to get back close to Bingham and put some real pressure on the world No11.

In addition to not playing to his best, Allen became frustrated with some worsening table conditions but made very little mention of that in his post-match press conference. And then there was losing to a player who he has not always seen eye to eye with after labelling Bingham a “bottler” and triggering something of a war of words three years ago.

But there was clear evidence in the arena afterwards and in some respectful comments that there has been a thawing of relations in that department. And while standing under such circumstances as the loser in the arena for a very long time before the presentation ceremony would test anyone, Allen made use of the time to force a smile and go round the arena signing autographs and posing for pictures with Chinese fans, with whom he retains a strong following.

Photograph by Monique Limbos

IVY AT SHANGHAI MASTERS AHEAD OF WEDDING

Referee Zhu Ying, or Ivy as she is known on the tour, drops in at the Shanghai Masters although it just for some filming in the arena before the final ahead of her forthcoming wedding rather than officiating, having been given a break by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association. Ivy also takes the opportunity to generously hand out one a memento of her wedding to tournament office colleagues and members of the media.

Ivy, who has risen fast through the ranks of the referees, has not figured on the roster so far this season, with the list of Chinese officials being submitted by the CBSA for the events in China and elsewhere, and at this time it is not clear exactly when she will be back in top-level action. But we at Inside Snooker would like to take this opportunity to wish her all the very best for her big day.

Photograph courtesy of World Snooker

DING ACCEPTS SEMIS LOSS AFTER LONG BREAK

Ding Junhui expressed a mixture of emotions on Chinese social media site Weibo immediately following his defeat to Stuart Bingham in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals. The 27-year-old has of course for the most part dealt much better with the pressures of playing at home in the last 18 months, but he was off the pace against Bingham for most of the contest.

Ding said: “I was angry with myself during the match and tried to calm down, but it was difficult. But overall I accept the performance and what I have done at this tournament, and am not too disappointed about going out in the semi-finals. I lost, but no one died. It has been three months since I picked up a cue, I have been on holiday and done other things. It is now time to get into the season properly.”

Photograph by Monique Limbos

ALLEN PREPARES FOR FINAL WITH THE FOOTBALL

Mark Allen had Saturday night off after his superb afternoon comeback semi-final win over world champion and world No1 Mark Selby – and chose to spend it taking advantage of one of the perks of the Regal Shanghai East Asia hotel used by the players.

The 12th-floor VIP Executive lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out Skybox-style over the Shanghai East Asia Stadium, and on the Saturday night the home side – in 4th place in the Chinese Super League – hosted champions and league leaders Guangzhou Evergrande, managed by former Italy and Juventus boss Marcelo Lippi.

And Allen spent a relaxing evening before Sunday’s final with a pizza in the comfortable seats enjoying a magnificent view of the proceedings.

The goalkeepers at Shanghai East Asia are coached by former England, Spurs and Leicester keeper Ian Walker, and in the first half his charge was all that stood between Guangzhou and a cricket score. But the club with by far away the biggest budget in China kicked clear in the second half and the match finished 3-0 to Evergrande.

Photograph by Monique Limbos

HIGGINS ANGRY ABOUT...SOMETHING OR OTHER

John Higgins, the four-time world champion, signs off from the Shanghai Masters with a spectacular meltdown before heading off to get his flight home.

You probably know you’ve arrived as a news outlet when someone ‘bans’ you so Inside Snooker can say it appears to have lost its cherry after an extraordinary outburst from Higgins. It is only disappointing this milestone was reached over such an imagined sleight and not some Watergate-style expose that rocked the establishment.

As previously noted on Inside Snooker Higgins left TV crews and media hanging after losing to Ryan Day, and may face a fine. And he has done this to reporters before overseas after a loss without any comeback. It seems fairly clear where the blame for any sanction would lie on this matter – with the player himself. Let’s be honest, it isn’t the biggest crime in the world, but all players should be treated the same. Most are excellent at fulfilling their media commitments, indeed many go way beyond the call of duty to promote the sport.

However  Higgins, after a day left to his own devices mulling a costly defeat, decided to scream at a member of the media (as it happens, this one) threatening that they “never, ever slag me off again for anything – I’m never going to speak to you again”. This was met with a blank look, we’re good at those here, which seemed only to further enrage Higgins.

We won’t think twice about criticising Higgins or anyone else if they do something wrong but have not knowingly ‘slagged him off’ recently if ever. Noting the above facts was not exactly a stinging personal attack. In fact I’ve heard bigger slaggings on the Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Instead of throwing his weight around in diva-style fashion in front of some bemused hotel guests and a grinning Graeme Dott and Andrew Higginson, believing he is beyond reproach and blaming the media for something that was entirely his fault, Higgins would probably have been better advised to take whatever might be coming on the chin with a bit of humility.

It is scary to think what might have happened if anyone HAD actually slagged him off. Spontaneous combustion springs to mind. And Higgins does of course have a bit of form in this area, refusing to speak to Scottish radio reporter Phil Goodlad over coverage of his tribunal, and slaughtering Joe Johnson over a pretty inoffensive article.

A lot of this goes in the bucket marked ‘all the fun of the fair, and going with the territory’ but some sober reflection may see Higgins realise he did himself no favours on this occasion and probably embarked on a misguided course of action. He should feel a little embarrassed.

However such things are part of the reporter’s life. Word reaches us that a sensitive flower in football TV punditry recently spent up to 45 minutes on the phone haranguing a journalist about an unfavourable review of his efforts – extreme as that sounds at least he HAD been criticised. Not trying to give anyone any ideas, obviously...

Photograph by Monique Limbos

DING AND LIANG SUN IT IN THE SEYCHELLES

When Liang Wenbo first looked as if he might mount a serious challenge to Ding Junhui as China’s No1, there was the odd story floating around that the main man’s nose had been put out of joint by the new threat, and that there was some tension between the pair.

This notion peaked with a ‘Great War of China’ headline in a red-top newspaper – but the truth was that the rivalry, though real, was very much of a sporting kind only, and off table the pair were good friends and enjoyed each other’s company.

If any further confirmation of that were needed there were plenty of OK-style photo spreads in a couple of the Chinese snooker magazines in Shanghai of Liang, Ding, their wives and other family and friends on holiday together in August on the paradise island of Mahe in the Seychelles.

Photograph by Monique Limbos