Wilson ends Allen’s Players Championship defence

With a 6-3 defeat by Kyren Wilson at the Telford International Centre, reigning champion Mark Allen was eliminated from the Players Championship in the opening round.

After the opening session, Wilson, the second-ranked player, led 3-1.

After the restart of play, Northern Irishman Allen and his rival, 33-year-old Wilson, both fought back to level the score at three frames each.

Allen, the world champion, was at his best, so he drew three frames in a row to win.

After beating Ding Junhui with a 6-2, Wilson will face Mark Williams in the quarter-finals.