UK Championship 2023: scott Donaldson Achieves Upset Victory Over Mark Allen Following Personal Tragedy
York, England – World number 52 Scott Donaldson delivered a stunning 6-1 victory over eighth-seeded Mark Allen in a late-night match on day three of the UK Championship, marking one of the most important wins of his career amidst profound personal grief.
Donaldson, 31, has been coping with the recent loss of his father, Hector, who passed away on October 2nd at the age of 70. The emotional weight of the match was palpable as Donaldson walked to the arena, choosing to play to “Babylon” by David Grey – a favorite song of his father’s that was played at his funeral.
“Snooker is a game at the end of the day, it’s not life or death,” Donaldson stated after the match. “With what I have been through, I can tell you what’s important and what’s not important. When the pressure is coming on, I just tell myself ‘it’s a game of snooker’ and get on with it.”
Donaldson revealed the difficulty of entering the venue, recalling, “I was fine until I got to the top of the stairs – and the last time I was in this venue was with my dad. it was good emotion though.Tough to go through but once I got the first frame, after that I was all right.” He built a 3-0 lead against the 2022 UK Championship winner, Allen, despite admitting it was “very difficult” to regain his composure.
Allen managed to win a frame before the mid-session interval, threatening a comeback. however,Donaldson persevered through a grueling contest featuring extended frames - one lasting a full hour and another nearing 50 minutes – to secure the decisive victory.
“It took a big character to continue playing and all credit to Scott with everything he has been through. It looked like he was giving everything on every shot,” Allen acknowledged.
