Mark Allen's spell as world number one began in May and came to an end last month with Judd Trump's run to the final of the Xi'an Grand Prix, but the Pistol is targetting an immediate return to the summit of the sport with victory in the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Riyadh.
We caught up with the 38-year-old, who has arrived in Riyadh a few days early to get ready for the historic first ever Saudi ranking event...
Thanks for speaking to us, Mark. First of all, what is your reaction to being pushed out of top spot in the world rankings?
“It was a very short stint at number one. It’s not what I wanted. In all likelihood, it was going to be Judd jumping ahead of me, with the way the rankings work and the money I had to defend. With the money involved here and big events coming up, that can soon change. It is up to me to win matches. At the end of the day, Judd went to China and did a lot better than me. He deserves to be number one, even if he is level! It is up to me to be better. If you win tournaments then the ranking takes care of itself."
Has that spell at the summit given you extra motivation for the coming months?
“I want to be world number one for a long time, not just a few months like I was. That takes a really high level of consistency. Only O’Sullivan, Trump and Selby have shown that in recent years, nobody else has been number one for a sustained period. It is up to me to have a good season. It is no good having one good season then a bad one. I want to have multiple good seasons in a row, I want to have five or ten good years and be there for a long time.
“It is good to promote the sport having that battle for world number one. Obviously myself, Kyren and Judd are right up the top of the rankings. With how much money is involved in this event, a lot more can go top though. It is a great time for everyone involved. It is a storyline which can be pushed to the general public. It is a great sign for the sport that there isn’t one standout player.”
How much would it mean to be the inaugural ranking event winner in Riyadh?
“It would be nice to be part of that history. To say you are the first ever ranking event winner out here would be amazing. That is my top priority. This venue is spectacular. It is absolutely amazing what they have done. It is great to have the whole tour here as well. I can see the excitement of the guys who are first time professionals in that practice room. They are all itching to go. It will be nice to watch them twitch it out for a few days, then get ready for my own game on Tuesday."
With more big money events happening around the globe, do you feel it is the best time ever to be a professional snooker player?
“I think it is the best time to be a snooker player. I made some complaints a year ago and it got to a stage where things were a bit stale. There has been a lot of talks between players and the board and I think there have been massive improvements in the last nine months. There is a new event in Xi’an, Saudi Arabia, talk of events in other places. It is an amazing time to be a snooker player. It isn’t just exciting for the new players, it is exciting for me. I want to travel to new places and play for big prize money. It is a brilliant time to be a part of it.
“We obviously still have a number of tournaments in the UK and China, but it is good to get into new avenues. It is turning into a global game and if we continue to branch out then the sport will be amazing for the new players coming through in the future."