Champion of Champions day two results and report: Mark Allen beats Mark Selby to reach semi-finals

Allen reaches last four

Having stuttered past Matthew Selt in his earlier match, Mark Allen turned in a much more polished display to beat Mark Selby 6-2 and book his place in the last four.

It had been Selby who prevailed when the pair met in the semi-finals of the English Open last month but Allen gained his revenge here, overcoming a couple of early setbacks to run out a handsome winner.

It was a good demonstration of Allen's growing maturity as he would have been forgiven for losing his focus having somehow lost frame two from a seemingly unassailable position, well set in the balls on a break of 70 with Selby already needing a snooker.

However, a simple missed black off the spot allowed Selby to counter, clearing the colours after forcing Allen to concede four points, and breaks of 56 and 60 in the following frame saw him move into a 2-1 lead.

Frame four was to prove a pivotal one, Allen again breaking down - this time on 69 - when not quite over the winning but though Selby laid another excellent snooker, Allen produced a fine escape before drawing level.

After the mid-session interval Allen then took control, a break of 65 seeing him lead for the first time since the opening frame of the match and when he edged frame six, he finally had breathing space.

A run of 51 in frame seven put him on the cusp of victory and when Selby was again unable to get a foothold in frame eight, Allen calmly closed out the match to seal his spot in the semi-finals.

Bingtao brushed aside by Selby

Recent English Open winner Selby had earlier made an impressive start to his Champion of Champions campaign, whitewashing Yan Bingtao 4-0 in ruthless fashion.

Selby has yet to add this title to his impressive CV but he could take some stopping in Coventry judging by this impressive showing that featured breaks of 78, 70 and 65.

As ever, Selby's rock-solid safety game was in good working order but his pot success rate was close to 100 per cent throughout the afternoon as he afforded his opponent little respite.

Selby needed a slice of good fortune to get going in the opening frame, a fluked red following a misjudged safety shot paving the way for his opening 78, and he never looked backed thereafter as he added two more breaks of 50-plus in quick time.

Bingtao had no answers as Selby marched towards the victory line and although the former world number one needed a couple of bites of the cherry in frame four, it was one he dominated throughout.

Allen ton sees off Selt

A break of 108 at the end of a scrappy match saw Allen overcome Matthew Selt 4-2.

A far cry from the display Selby produced in the first match of the day, both players struggled for their best form, although Allen would have hoped for much better when opening up with a typically well-taken run of 89.

Frame two was a much more closely-contested affair and despite clearly struggling to adapt to a rare appearance in front of the TV cameras, Selt held his nerve to force a re-spotted black with a gritty clearance of the final four colours.

However, it was Allen who eventually took the frame with a brilliant pot and when he got the better of another messy frame to lead 3-0, he seemed set for an early finish.

But the match was now becoming littered with unforced errors and so it was appropriate that Selt kept his hopes alive by taking frame four, another that was decided on the final black, with an outrageous fluke.

With his first frame on the board, Selt finally found the form that saw him earn his place in Coventry with victory at the Indian Open last season, playing fluently for a break of 59 that reduced his arrears to 3-2 and kept his hopes of a comeback alive.

Instead, it merely proved to be the encouragement that Allen needed and he responded in fine style, finishing the match as he had started it, an expertly taken run of 108 thwarting Selt's game fightback.

Tuesday schedule

Tuesday November 5
Afternoon session (1300 GMT)
TV coverage: ITV4
Group 3 semi-finals - best of seven

• Mark Selby 4-0 Yan Bingtao
• Mark Allen 4-2 Matthew Selt

Evening session (1900 GMT)
TV coverage: ITV4
Group 3 final - best of 11

• Mark Selby 2-6 Mark Allen

Related links

• Champion of Champions outright preview
• Champion of Champions draw & schedule