UK Championship 2025: Emotional Scott Donaldson defeats Mark Allen in UK shock

World number 52 Scott Donaldson gained one of the best victories of his career as he beat eighth seed Mark Allen in a late-night finish on day three of the UK Championship.

Donaldson, whose father Hector died aged 70 on 2 October, was in tears as he walked to the arena before the match as the song he chose, Babylon by David Gray, was one of his dad’s favourites.

The 31-year-old Scot had caused a big shock as he fought back from 5-0 down to defeat former world champion Stuart Bingham 6-5 in the final qualifying round and Donaldson maintained that form at York Barbican.

He led former world number one Allen 3-0, with the Northern Irishman, who won this tournament in 2022, pulling one back before the mid-session interval.

But in a match full of long, tough frames, one of which lasted an hour with another around the 50-minute mark, Donaldson managed to keep nudging closer to victory, before sealing a 6-1 success.

There was drama too on table two as, for the first time in this year’s tournament, a deciding frame was needed with China’s Zhang Anda scraping a 6-5 win over England’s Gary Wilson.

Zhang now plays reigning China’s world champion Zhao Xintong after he gained a 6-1 victory over compatriot Long Zehuang in Monday’s afternoon session.

More to follow.