Northern Ireland snooker player Mark Allen has prolonged his absence from professional tournament snooker by withdrawing from the forthcoming Shenzhen Open. The event is set to run from 28 September to 4 October, and Allen had been scheduled to face Ben Mertens on the opening day.
This latest withdrawal means Allen has now missed the first five ranking events of the season, having previously sat out the British and English Opens. He also did not participate in the Championship League, China Open, Wuhan Open, and the non-ranking Shanghai Masters.
The world number 13 has not competed in a professional event since early May, when he lost to eventual winner Wu Yize in their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible Theatre. His next scheduled tournament appearance is his home event, the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, which runs from 18 to 25 October.