Ali Carter pockets £105,000 payday after text from Mark Allen – 'I owe you a vodka!'

Ali Carter pocketed a cool £105,000 after finishing second to Kyren Wilson at the Shanghai Masters this weekend. But his path to the final was paved by an unexpected 'Merry Christmas' text from Mark Allen.

'The Captain', ranked 17th in the world, wasn't set to compete, but Allen's withdrawal for personal reasons opened up a spot. Carter revealed that he was initially puzzled by Allen's cryptic message to inform him he could take his place.

He said: "Getting in Shanghai is a result. I was buzzing to get the call because it's a good event."

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Explaining how Allen broke the news, he told Metro: "He just texts me and said, 'Merry Christmas, mate.' I didn't quite understand what he meant, but then I read between the lines and he said, he's not going to Shanghai. I was like, 'Thanks, mate. I owe you a vodka!'"

Despite his initial disappointment at missing out due to his ranking drop, which many believe wasn't reflective of his performance on the green baize, Carter was thrilled to be part of the competition.

Following Zhao Xintong's World Championship triumph in May, Carter was left gutted as he plummeted down the snooker rankings, particularly after widespread criticism of the World Snooker Tour's points system rulebook, reports the Express.

Given that Xintong held amateur status when he claimed the coveted title, both players and supporters, Carter included, assumed he wouldn't be awarded ranking points as a consequence. Discussing the hotly-contested world rankings shake-up, Carter said: "Everyone's interpretation was that amateurs didn't get their ranking points.

"But World Snooker's interpretation wasn't that, so it is what it is and at the end of the day, they're the governing body, they make the decisions and we'll see what transpires in the future."

After Allen's pullout from Shanghai, Carter powered his way to the final, cruising past Le Qui and Mark Williams in the tournament's initial stages. He then took on Xiao Guodong, overcoming him 6-5 to secure his place in the semi-finals.

Following his 10-8 victory over Mark Selby in the semis to face Wilson, Carter was perfectly positioned for a remarkable triumph - regardless of the outcome - having squeezed into the competition at the eleventh hour.

Despite suffering a narrow 11-9 defeat, the Englishman will pocket a substantial cash prize of £105,000, as well as a confidence boost after his recent rankings setback.