Mark Allen playing catch-up in semi-final

Mark Allen must turn around his semi-final against John Higgins after a disappointing opening session this afternoon, which finished with him trailing 6-2.

Allen failed to reproduce the form which saw him knock out Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ryan Day, but his career is right back on track after admitting he had been a similar character to 'Hurricane' Higgins as a teenager.

"More or less - without the drink," he said. "I was pretty bad when I was younger."

Being barred from travelling to a holiday camp in Prestatyn for a top junior event was a choking blow for Allen.

"I got banned one year because of my behaviour," he said. "But all of that happens for a reason. The same people who banned me at that time are the ones who are supporting me now, and they're the ones who keep me on the right track."

He explained: "I used to bang my cue, bang the table. And tell people where to go."

Allen's petulant side has not been seen at the Crucible, where he has come across as a likeable, quietly-spoken player.

"I'll be the first to admit when I was younger I didn't have the best head on my shoulders," he said. "But I've now got good people around me that keep my feet firmly on the ground. I'll never get carried away with any achievements."

Nor should he be too dispirited by the start to his match against Higgins, as there is plenty of time to fight back, with the winner needing 17 frames.

Higgins made the top break of the first session, and the only century, with a run of 114 in the sixth frame, while Allen's highest was a mere 45.

Allen will certainly not be giving up hope of becoming Northern Ireland's third champion in Sheffield, after Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor.

Today was his first experience of a semi-final and the one-table set-up at the Crucible which comes into play for the closing five days of the tournament.

Meanwhile Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson are determined to disprove Stephen Hendry's theory that the title is heading for Scotland, as they finished their opening session tied at 4-4.

Murphy, the champion in 2005, has been unable to count on the support he used to as a Rotherham resident and a spectator was ejected for heckling the 26-year-old.

Now based in Sale after splitting from his wife, Murphy has brushed off the sporadic abuse he has faced so far.

He gave a composed performance against Robertson but could not shake off the Australian.

Murphy won a pedestrian opening frame, before the audience member was thrown out, and made it 2-0 after a break of 46.

Robertson's 81 to win the third frame suggested stage fright was not an issue for the Australian, in his first Crucible semi-final.

He drew level at 2-2 but Murphy restored his lead soon after the resumption.

The players returned to their dressing rooms after the fifth frame as officials attempted to detect the source of a buzzing noise.

With that quickly resolved, Murphy knocked in a break of 88 to regain his earlier two-frame advantage.

But Robertson responded with 81 in the next and a run of 46 made sure he took the final frame of the evening.