Allen scores three centuries in win over Williams

Mark Allen compiled three centuries in the first three frames to lay the platform for an impressive 6-3 win over Mark Williams in the first round of the Players Championship in Telford.

The Northern Irishman began the match with the fifth 146 break of his career and then added a 112 and 102.

Williams fought back to trail 3-2 and 4-3 with the help of 71 and 69 breaks.

Allen followed up his earlier tons with runs of 94, 70 and 68 to complete an ultimately comprehensive victory.

Williams was restricted to just one point as the world number three dominated the opening three frames but fought his way back into contention in a high quality contest, before his opponent prevailed.

"To play like that and score like that is exactly what I needed, I haven't done enough of that, especially against the top players," Allen told ITV Sport after his success.

For Allen, who has won the Champion of Champions and Shootout events this season, this win marked a welcome return to form after a disappointing display in his Welsh Open quarter-final defeat by John Higgins last week.

He will play either Welsh Open winner Gary Wilson or Hossein Vafaei from Iran in the last eight of the tournament at the Telford International Centre.

Judd Trump and John Higgins sealed their quarter-final berths on Monday by beating Chris Wakelin and Ding Junhui respectively, while on Tuesday night world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will face Zhou Yuelong and Tom Ford will play Ali Carter.

The Players Championship features the top 16 players on the one-year ranking list as it stood after the Welsh Open and is the second event of three which make up the Players Series, following the World Grand Prix and preceding the Tour Championship at the start of April.

Among those who did not qualify for this week's tournament were 2023 winner Shaun Murphy and world champion Luca Brecel.

The winner of Sunday's best-of-19 frame final will collect a first prize of £125,000.