World Snooker Championship 2023: Mark Allen beats Fan Zhengyi after protest, Robert Milkins v Joe Perry rescheduled

Mark Allen beat Fan Zhengyi 10-5 in a match that was headlined by a protest by Just Stop Oil invaders at the World Championship. Allen led 6-3 going into the second session, but play was halted on both tables at the Crucible when an activists broke onto the baize during both matches at 19:20 BST. Ad In the Robert Milkins v Joe Perry match, a man stood on the table and threw orange powder over it, so play was not able to resume.

World Championship'You’ve got one job!' – Allen jokes with marker after foulAN HOUR AGO That match will now begin at 19:00 BST on Tuesday, before a rescheduled second session at 09:30 BST on Thursday morning, when no play was initially due to be held. A woman got one leg on the table in the Allen and Fan match, but was pulled away by referee Olivier Marteel, along with other World Snooker Tour staff. When Allen and Fan returned to the arena just before 20:00, they were given a standing ovation.

Allen was also given hearty applause when he crunched the first ball in following the restart, with the Northern Irishman quipping “I don’t know what all the fuss was about” before going on to make a century to go 7-3 ahead. The next three frames were very scrappy, with Fan taking the first two — which took 88 minutes in total — to put the pressure on his opponent. Frame 13 came down to the final pink and black.

Fan needed both balls and missed a great opportunity with the pink over the bottom right corner. Allen stepped in and stopped the momentum of the Chinese player to take an 8-5 lead into the interval. Exclusive: ‘It’s all nonsense’ – White reacts to Vafaei’s broadside on O’Sullivan Williams romps to victory over Robertson with six consecutive frames Following the break, Allen hammered in a long red