“Mark Allen beat Ben Mertens 4-0 in their first-round encounter at the Northern Ireland Open, but it was a nervy battle where neither player hit their previous heights. The defending champion, Allen uncharacteristically missed some routine shots, but made the most of his opponentu0027s inexperience, utilising his vast experience to his advantage to close it out and drag himself into the second round.”
Allen beats Mertens to advance to second round
