Mark Allen: 'I did it for my life, not my snooker' - Antrim player on four-stone weight loss
Northern Ireland snooker player Mark Allen has explained that he shed four stone over the summer more for the good of his health and his family than to improve his snooker.
36-year-old's significant weight loss was apparent as he advanced to the final of the British Open, which he lost 10-7 to Welshman Ryan Day.
"I did it for my life, not for my snooker," reflected the Antrim man.
"I just didn't feel healthy six months ago. It's definitely done me no harm."
"If it helps my snooker too, then brilliant. That seems to have happened this week," added Allen who jumps from 14th to 10th in the world rankings.
Allen weighed 19 stone when he competed at the World Championship in Sheffield in May but a chatexternal-link with seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan helped him embrace a more healthy lifestyle in recent months.
x-time ranking event winner has also made good progress in putting many of his well-publicised personal problems behind him.
"Off the table I feel I've got my priorities a bit better now. I'm not there yet but things are much better off the table.
"I've kept myself healthier and I want to be around for my family and my daughter and see her growing up.
"It was just a snooker match I lost on Sunday. Things are going well for me in every other way."
Allen showed impressive form in defeating former world champions Judd Trump and Mark Selby on his way to reaching the final in Milton Keynes but fell short against Day, who recovered from 7-6 down to take victory.
"I appreciate how tough it is to win tournaments. The really top players make it look easy but it's not so all credit to Ryan for getting over the line," said Allen.
"It's been a while since he did that in a big event but he closed it out great. 
"I have no complaints. I had my chances, I just didn't perform well enough.
"The standard of play in the first session in particular was really good and Ryan continued to play well after that, whereas I didn't."
Allen's attention will now turn to the defence of his Northern Ireland Open title, that tournament taking place at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast from 16 to 23 October.
former world semi-finalist needs a win at his 'home' event to qualify for the Champion of Champions, which he won in 2020 but withdrew from in 2021.
"I'm looking forward to it [the Northern Ireland Open] and it would be nice to go back-to-back.
"There's a bit of pressure off as well hopefully going there as defending champion. If you don't win a title in 12 months then you don't deserve to be in the Champion of Champions."