Mark Allen seals win over Stuart Bingham to reach to World Snooker Championship quarter-finals

Mark Allen made a quickfire return to the Crucible on Saturday morning to claim the one frame he required and move into the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship for the first time since 2018.

The Antrim native required just 15 minutes to fashion a break of 68 and turn a 12-4 overnight lead into a 13-4 win against the 2015 champion Stuart Bingham, setting up a last-eight tie with either Neil Robertson or Jak Jones.

Allen, who is intent on rectifying a dismal Crucible record that has seen him reach this stage just four times since a solitary semi-final appearance in 2009, said he had been inspired by a bracelet given to him by his five-year-old daughter, Harley.

"It's great for me having this to look at, when you make mistakes out there and you look down and you realise where your priorities really lie, it takes some pressure off," said Allen.

"It just says 'dad’ on it. It’s pinks and purples and stuff, not really my favourite colours, but it helps keep my mind at rest. It’s good to have that happy thought in your head and get ready for the next one."

"I come here with my best chance in a long time, not just to get to the one table setup, but to win." Mark Allen is eyeing up a fourth title of the 2022/23 campaign.#CazooWorldChampionship | @Pistol147 pic.twitter.com/cl5VPuv2Hy

Allen did the damage in the second session of their second-round match on Friday, in which he extended an early 5-3 advantage and was only denied victory with a session to spare when Bingham clinched the last frame of the day.

Despite the emphatic nature of his win, coming on the back of a stellar season in which he has won three titles and reached another final, Allen has endured too much Crucible heartbreak to rest on his laurels.

"I made a few