Mark Allen considers retirement after Jordan Brown ends his Belfast comeback

Mark Allen said he was considering retirement after his return to competitive snooker ended in a 4-2 defeat by Jordan Brown at the Northern Ireland Open on Tuesday. The former world number one lost the first-round match at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, then spoke about uncertainty over his future in a TNT Sports interview reported by RTÉ.

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Allen had not competed since his World Championship semi-final defeat by Wu Yize in early May. According to RTÉ's report, he had withdrawn from the first five ranking tournaments of the season, as well as the Shanghai Masters and the forthcoming International Championship. Tuesday's appearance therefore marked his first match of the new season after a prolonged absence from the tour.

The 40-year-old won the opening frame against Brown, his friend and practice partner, but could not sustain that lead. BBC Sport reported that Brown, 39, took the next two frames before Allen drew level at 2-2. Brown then made breaks of 53 and 80 to win the final two frames and secure his place in the next round.

Afterwards, Allen told TNT Sports that returning to the table had been difficult and that facing Brown at the Waterfront had been an important reason for playing. RTÉ reported that he answered affirmatively when asked whether he was thinking about retirement. His comments expressed serious doubts about continuing; they did not amount to a confirmed announcement that he had retired.

The result added Allen to a growing list of leading players eliminated early in Belfast. BBC Sport said he was the tenth top-16 player to lose at the first hurdle, with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Selby also out. For Brown, the victory reversed last year's meeting in the tournament, when Allen beat him 5-2 in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere in Tuesday's early matches, Mark Williams defeated Robbie Williams 4-2, while Michael Holt beat Zhou Yuelong 4-1, according to BBC Sport. Brown's progress came at the end of an emotional encounter: RTÉ reported that the two players embraced after the match, with both in tears as Allen's comeback concluded.