Mark Allen shows true colours ahead of Judd Trump showdown - 'I know more than most'

Mark Allen sent a classy message to Jordan Brown after ending his great friend's hopes at the Northern Ireland Open. Allen triumphed 5-2 over his fellow Antrim cueman to set up a semi-final showdown with world No.1 Judd Trump.

Brown has endured a barren few seasons that have seen his world ranking and mental health plummet. He even considered quitting the sport, but has looked rejuvenated this season after enlisting the help of Irish snooker legend Fergal O'Brien as his coach. His resurgence has been on display at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, where he thrashed world champion Zhao Xintong 4-0 and beat the standout player of the season so far, Shaun Murphy, to set up a Northern Ireland derby with Allen.

The Pistol, who knows Brown better than most, was full of praise for his mate, insisting it was only a matter of time before he got back to his best. The world No.8 said: "This is where he belongs. I've practised with Jordan for the best part of 25-26 years.

"I know more than most what he's capable of and the level he can play to. He's just been struggling for confidence. The game's so mental. If you start losing a few matches, it can really get on top of you. I tried to say to him at the end, 'Three good wins this week, take a lot of positives into the rest of the season.' This is where he belongs; he's a class act."

Next up for Allen is Trump, who reached the last four by securing his 13th consecutive ranking event win over John Higgins in a 5-2 scoreline. Trump, who has had a poor start to the season by his high standards, believes his game is trending in the right direction. The Ace said: "My scoring was the difference today. After the interval, my long potting was great and I scored heavily."

Amid what has been a wide-open season so far, Trump stressed he cannot afford to take anything for granted, adding: "I could easily go the whole season without winning a tournament; there's no guarantee.

"I would love to get that out of the way here so I can relax. I feel my game has taken a forward step here; no matter what happens, I feel a lot more comfortable with my cue and how I am playing." The other semi-final will see Jack Lisowski, who is chasing a maiden ranking crown, face Chinese star Zhou Yuelong.