Allen rallies to reach UK snooker final

Mark Allen won through to his first major final after coming from behind to beat Ricky Walden 9-7 in the last four of the UK Snooker Championship on Saturday. The Northern Irishman will now face fellow left-hander Judd Trump in the final of snooker’s second most important tournament after this year’s losing world finalist defeated Australia’s Neil Robertson, also by a 9-7 margin, on Friday. Allen, 25, had lost in all five of his previous ranking tournament semi-finals.Walden established a 5-3 lead at the end of the first session but Allen - highly critical of the way matches at the UK have been reduced in length this season - fought back in Saturday’s evening session, winning it 6-2, and sealed victory with a break of 70.