China Open: Mark Allen boosts World Championship bid

Allen will face Mark Williams for a place in the quarter-finals of the China Open

Masters champion Mark Allen is through to the last 16 at the China Open after surviving a scare to win his second round match in Beijing.

The Northern Irishman beat Yan Bingtao of China 6-4 to advance to a match up against Mark Williams.

Allen recovered from losing the opener to lead 4-1 but eventually clinched victory by winning a tense tenth frame.

Allen is 17th in the world rankings but must be in the top 16 to avoid having to qualify for the World Championships.

He would guarantee his place at the Crucible with a victory over Williams, who cruised past Michael Holt 6-1.

Allen, 32, defeated Noppon Saengkham 6-1 on Monday but was unable to play with the same fluency in the second round, producing a highest break of 79 during a match that lasted over three and a half hours.

Yan reeled off three out of the next four frames, including a break of 130, to reduce the deficit to 5-4 but Allen held his nerve during an error-strewn tenth frame to win.