The World Snooker Championship was plunged into chaos on Thursday evening when a “loud crash” and a sudden power outage disrupted the semi-final clash between Mark Allen and Wu Yize.
The drama unfolded during the third frame as Allen was at the table.
A sudden electrical failure caused the television broadcast to black out for approximately 12 minutes leaving viewers across the UK watching an emergency wildlife program.
While the players remained in the arena, the atmosphere was rattled by a physical noise. Presenter Hazel Irvine explained the situation once coverage resumed, stating:
“There was a big crash, bang and wallop in there and that sort of led to what we think is the power going off.”
Despite the technical malfunction, Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen remained remarkably focused. Legend Steve Davis noted:
“It was obvious when the screens went blank in the room here that something happened. Mark Allen was aware something had happened and how good a performance to keep his standard up.”
Irvine later joked, “Nothing to do with not feeding the meter I assure you!” as she confirmed Allen had won the frame during the blackout.
Play has since continued with Wu Yize maintaining a 6-2 lead.
