Mark Allen beat Luca Brecel to win the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and claim his first title of the season.

Northern Ireland’s Allen beat defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-2 in the semi-final before outplaying Belgium’s Brecel in the final later on Friday in a 5-1 victory.

“I was very nervous in the last few balls. I am happy to get over the line,” Allen said.

“You are never there until you’re there. I played some good stuff all week.”

Brecel, the 2022 world champion who beat Mark Williams 4-2 in his semi-final, won the opening frame of the final but Allen levelled with a 104 clearance.

A break of 109 in the fourth put Allen 3-1 up and he took the next two after the interval to win and take the £250,000 prize pot.

Allen’s semi-final against O’Sullivan was more competitive – with a break of 134 sealing victory.

Having taken the first frame, O’Sullivan missed a red in the second, which sparked a turnaround for Allen, who took a 3-1 lead.

O’Sullivan cut his deficit by winning the fifth but Allen’s clearance ended the seven-time world champion’s run.