MARK Allen’s hopes of a third title at this home event – the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open – have ended.
Antrim’s world number three lost 4-3 to England’s Oliver Lines in the last 32 at the Waterfront in Belfast on Wednesday afternoon.
Lines nicked the opener on the black with a last red and colours clearance after Allen had built an early lead, but Allen levelled with a break of 87.
Lines, a semi-finalist at the British Open earlier this season, went ahead again with a break of 73, but Allen took the next two to lead for the first time in the best-of-seven encounter.
An early 53 break proved enough for Lines to force a decider and he scored enough in two visits to get over the line in frame seven.
