I want to stay world number one as long as possible - Allen

Mark Allen says he wants to "stay arsenic world number 1 arsenic agelong arsenic possible" aft reaching nan acme of nan rankings connected nan completion of this year's World Championship successful Sheffield successful early May.

Allen has yet to triumph nan biggest prize successful nan athletics but his profession victories to day person included successes successful nan Masters, nan UK Championship and nan Champion of Champions.

The 38-year-old from Northern Ireland defeated Liu Hongyu 5-2 successful nan first information of nan Xi'an Grand Prix successful China connected Monday.

That tourney will beryllium followed by nan lucrative Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters from 30 August to 7 September.

Allen's nearest challenger successful nan world rankings, Judd Trump, won past month's Shanghai Masters.

"I cognize Judd Trump is not acold down maine and if he wins titles past location won't beryllium overmuch I tin do," Allen told nan World Snooker Tour website, external.

"But I'm present to triumph nan tourney too. I cognize I person a batch of points to take sides from 2 years agone truthful I request to support winning.

"Saudi will beryllium immense successful position of nan number 1 ranking, because nan money location is truthful big. But it's bully to beryllium nan 1 they are each chasing."

The tourney successful Saudi Arabia will beryllium followed by further important events successful nan autumn specified arsenic nan English Open, British Open and Northern Ireland Open successful nan United Kingdom, positive nan Wuhan Open and International Championship successful China.

"This is simply a bully clip for maine because I for illustration a tally of tournaments without gaps successful between," explained Allen.

"We person this one, past Saudi Arabia, past a fewer successful nan UK and past different 1 successful China truthful it's a engaged spell and a chance to summation momentum and hopefully prime up a fewer titles."

Allen's opening triumph complete Liu Hongyu included breaks of 66, 58, 111 and 70.

"I was fortunate to beryllium 2-0 up, Liu struggled early successful nan match," he added.

"Then he showed what he tin do erstwhile he came from 4-0 to 4-2 and I had to make a bully break successful nan extremity to triumph 5-2."

Also connected nan opening time of nan caller Xi'an Grand Prix, Ronnie O'Sullivan completed a 5-0 whitewash of Wang Yuchen while world champion Kyren Wilson secured his first triumph successful a knockout lucifer this play arsenic he hit Haris Tahir 5-2.

Mark Selby compiled breaks of 136 and 11 arsenic he defeated Wang Xinbo 5-3 and Gong Chenzhi, a 17-year-old circuit rookie from China, caused an upset by seeing disconnected world number 13 Tom Ford 5-1.