Mark Allen hits out at snooker chiefs over prize money after English Open £100k win

Mark Allen took a potshot at the World Snooker Tour ranking system after winning the English Open. The former UK and Masters champion, 39, pocketed £100,000 after his late-night 9-8 slugfest win over Zhou Yuelong in Brentwood, Essex. Neil Robertson banked £500,000 in ranking points for his success at the Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this season and is the runaway leader at the top of the one-year list.

A number of top players have called for a points-based system in recent seasons, with the current money-based list heavily weighted towards the World Championship and Saudi Arabia Masters.

And world No.7 Allen quipped: "I'm assuming with coming here and winning one more match than Neil won in Saudi and one frame less than he won that I'll be pretty close to him on the one-year list now?

"I think that says all you need to know about the world rankings and how they work.

"I could win one frame less and one match more and be £400,000 behind. Something definitely needs to change in that regard."

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Allen had to make the journey from Brentwood to Cheltenham to compete in the British Open, opening his campaign against Jiang Jun, but he will be hoping to end his season with more success on British soil.

Prize money concerns may not be a concern if Allen does live out his dream and find glory at the Crucible. The former world No. 1 has now set his sights on winning the World Championship, having eased fears of having to negotiate through the qualifying rounds.

"I want to win as many different tournaments as I can," said 39-year-old Allen. "The Welsh Open is the only Home Nations event I haven't won. Then the World Championship. Those are the two that stand out for me that are missing on my CV."

Allen, who moved up to 14th on the provisional seeding list and is aiming to become the first Northern Irish world champion since Dennis Taylor, showed extreme composure in Essex and that steeliness can only serve him well in the Steel City.

"I think the least you can ask for from any player is application," he added. "So many guys would have given up in some of the positions I was in this week.

"I think other people know now that I am never beat. That is worth a frame itself sometimes."