Please note that this is NOT an official website. At this point in time Ronnie O’ Sullivan does not have an official website, nor does he wish to have one.
Kyren Wilson ended a drought of 19 months without a ranking title as he thrashed Jak Jones 9-2 in the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, winning the event for a second time.
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Wilson built a 6-2 lead in the opening session, making three century breaks, and needed just 45 minutes of the evening conclusion to secure the crown at the Waterfront Hall, lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy and pocketing the top prize of £100,000.
After beating Jones in the World Championship two years ago, Wilson enjoyed a prolific 2024/25 season, winning a further four ranking titles, the last of those coming at the Players Championship in 2025. Since then he has had to contend with a variety of problems including his favourite cue being accidentally snapped, health problems for his wife Sophie and their family home being burgled. What has never changed is his relentless determination and resilient mindset, and the 34-year-old from Kettering now has his reward with a return to the winner’s podium.
Though he won prestigious invitation titles last season at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, his form in ranking events had been so patchy that he slipped to 23rd in the race to the Crucible next Spring and – unthinkably – had to contemplate the prospect of playing in the qualifying rounds. This week’s triumph boosts him into the top 16 and on track for an automatic place at the Theatre of Dreams.
Wilson’s career tally of ranking titles moves to 11, putting him 12th outright on the all-time list, one ahead of Jimmy White. Having conquered Belfast in 2024, he joins Judd Trump and Mark Allen as the only players to win this event on multiple occasions. Remaining ninth in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, the Englishman leaps from 17th to fifth on the one-year list and is on course to qualify for all three events in the 2027 Players Series.
Most Ranking Titles
All-time list
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 41 Stephen Hendry – 36 John Higgins – 33 Judd Trump – 31 Steve Davis – 28 Mark Williams – 27 Neil Robertson – 26 Mark Selby – 26 Ding Junhui – 15 Shaun Murphy – 13 Mark Allen – 12 Kyren Wilson – 11 Jimmy White – 10
He’s also the new front-runner for the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations bonus, with the leading money-winner across the four events to bank the extra windfall. With tournaments in Scotland and Wales to come, Wilson leads Ali Carter by £13,200.
Jones is enjoying an extraordinary breakthrough season, as he had never previously won a trophy since turning pro in 2010 but landed the Championship League in July and British Open in September. Victory today would have set a new record for the shortest time in which a player has won their first three ranking titles, surpassing John Higgins who achieved that feat in a six-month spell in 1994/95.
Cwmbran’s 33-year-old Jones earns £45,000 and climbs from 24th to 18th in the world, and another run at the upcoming International Championship could secure a top 16 seeding for both the UK Championship and the Masters.
After a fine display in the first session, Wilson had first chance in the opening frame tonight and made 44 before accidentally knocking the black in when potting a red, but he soon got back in by drilling a long range red into a top corner and adding the points he needed to go five clear. In the next he under-cut a tricky black to a top corner on 34, but soon got back in and added 45 to go 8-2 ahead.
Jones had an early chance in frame 11 but made just 6 before missing a routine black off its spot – summing up his day. Wilson finished in style with a break of 75 to complete a seventh win in eight meetings with Jones.
“It’s a great honour to win the Alex Higgins Trophy,” said Wilson, who came so close to defeat against Sam Craigie in the semi-finals yesterday before today’s one-sided contest. “Obviously, he was a legend of our game and somebody I looked up to, watching back on the archives. To take it home for a second time is an incredible feeling. It’s given me a little bit of a boost up the rankings, so I’m buzzing to win.
“So many top players went out early in the tournament, and I think that puts a bit of pressure on you to deliver. You want to do it for the fans who come to watch you play snooker and support you in particular, and you’re aware of that. I’m pleased I’ve managed to produce good, consistent, heavy-scoring snooker. It’s a good confidence booster for what’s to come.
“The way the tour works nowadays, winning a ranking title boosts you up into the World Grand Prix, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. To not have a chance of defending my Players Championship title last season was a real blow, sitting at home watching that. Hopefully this has given me a good stepping stone into those tournaments this season. You’ve got to ride the crest of the wave while you can.
“To overtake Jimmy White’s total of ranking titles is amazing because he was a hero of mine. I loved watching him play and he’s like the godfather of snooker in my eyes. He’s such an iconic figure in snooker.“
Jones said: “I should be pleased with getting to the final, with how I’ve played all week. I haven’t felt comfortable, but I’ve just battled through. Kyren has played really well all week, so he thoroughly deserves it. I didn’t feel very good at all today. I was hoping something might happen to give me a bit of a spur, but I didn’t have it. I was cueing absolutely around corners all day, and the more you miss, the harder it gets. All of the misses I made, Kyren punished me every time.
“There are positives, I suppose, but I need to start playing a lot better than I am. That’s the main thing, because it’s okay winning, but I don’t really like winning when I’m not playing anywhere near my best. I’ve got a lot to work on to get up to the standard of Kyren and the other top players. I’ll fly home in the morning and then go to China on Wednesday. It would be good if I could have a bit of a run there and get into the top 16.”
There isn’t much to add. Kyren played the best snooker all week and is a fully deserving winner.
That Kyren “looked up” to Alex Higgins is just baffling for me, unless by that he only means “looked up to the way he played snooker” because, as persons they couldn’t be more different. Yes, Alex Higgins changed the way snooker is played, making it much more enthralling and watchable for the young people and, in general, for those who only just discovered the sport. He deserves credit for that. But, as a human being, he was pretty horrible He was selfish, nasty and often prone to violence. On several occasion he behaved abusively and dishonestly both towards colleagues and towards his wife. That is not “being a character”, it’s just being a unpleasant, insensitive, and contemptible person. His alcohol abuse isn’t an excuse, it’s only another of his many flaws. I’m a woman, I never understood the “Alex Higgins cult”.
Kyren Wilson reached the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for the second time by beating Sam Craigie 6-5 in an incredible finish to their semi-final in Belfast.
Craigie will be devastated to have missed chances to reach his first ranking final, and experience eventually paid off for Wilson as he came from 5-3 down to take the last three frames. Nerves affected both players in a thrilling decider but 2024 World Champion Wilson cleared from yellow to pink to reach his 19th ranking final.
On Sunday he’ll face Mark Williams or Jak Jones, with first to nine frames to lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and win £100,000. Wilson will be aiming for an 11th ranking title, which would put him 12th on his own on the all-time list ahead of Jimmy White, and it would be his first ranking crown since the Players Championship 19 months ago.
Since then, the 34-year-old Englishman has won huge invitation titles at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, but those did not count towards his ranking tally and on the projected list for qualification for the 2027 World Championship he remains outside the top 16. However, victory tomorrow would boost his position and set him on track for a guaranteed Crucible berth.
Breaks of 54 and 95 gave Wilson an early 2-0 lead, then world number 72 Craigie pulled one back with a 78 in frame three. Wilson’s 98 made it 3-1 at the interval but he made a series of errors over the next four frames as underdog Craigie took control. Notably in the sixth, Wilson missed a short-range red to a top corner on 51 and his opponent later punished him with a 56 clearance, and further runs of 55 and 100 from Craigie left him on the verge of victory at 5-3.
A run of 60 helped world number nine Wilson pull one back, then in frame ten Craigie had the balls at his mercy but on 28 he went in-off after potting the blue and flicking off another red, handing his opponent the chance to make 56 for 5-5.
Tyneside’s 32-year-old Craigie, playing the biggest frame of a pro career which started in 2011, had a scoring chance after a huge fluke on the blue and made 49 before missing a tough long red. Wilson’s clearance attempt ended when the pink hit the near jaw of a centre pocket, but Craigie then failed to clip the last red into a baulk corner. Still the momentum swung back and forth as Wilson missed the yellow to centre, then Craigie’s effort from long range was several inches wide. Finally, Wilson settled the result with a gritty clearance.
“I’m relieved and delighted, I wanted to be part of the showpiece final,” said Wilson, who beat Judd Trump in the final here two years ago. “The venue here is fantastic when it gets to one table, and if I’d gone out in the semis, it would have been bittersweet with how well I’ve played this week.
“I’m proud of the way I managed to bounce back from 5-3. The ranking points are very top-heavy in terms of money, so if you can get to the final, the bonuses that come with it are massive. And obviously it’s another opportunity to win a big tournament.
“Maybe Sam went a little bit too aggressive towards the end. He took a red on down the cushion, which was very high tariff, and it gave me the chance to get back into the frame.
“It would be lovely to have my family here tomorrow. We’ve just got to rely on the storm not to ruin that, but we’ll see. If I play Jak, it’s a repeat of the 2024 world final, my biggest ever success, so that would be great. On the other hand, you’ve got an all-time legend in Mark Williams who I really look up to. He’s such a great ambassador for snooker. He does it in his own unique way, which is fascinating, and I would love to play him in the final.”
Jak Jones came from 4-1 down to beat Mark Williams 6-5 in an enthralling semi-final at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, setting up a repeat of the 2024 Crucible final against Kyren Wilson.
On a day of high drama at the Waterfront Hall, with both matches going to the last few balls, Jones enjoyed an unlikely fight-back against three-time World Champion Williams, who had earlier missed a routine yellow on the brink of a 5-1 lead. Chasing a third ranking title of what has been a breakthrough season, Jones is through to face Wilson who earlier edged out Sam Craigie 6-5.
First to nine frames on Sunday will lift the Alex Higgins Trophy and earn £100,000. When the pair met in the World Championship final two years ago, Wilson raced into a 7-0 lead and eventually won 18-14, so this time Jones will be determined to compete from the start. The 33-year-old Welshman had never won a ranking title coming into this season but landed the Championship League in July then added the British Open in September.
He is into his fourth ranking final and is sure to jump at least six places from his current position of 24th in the world; victory would leave him well placed to qualify automatically for both the UK Championship and the Masters.
Veteran 51-year-old Williams missed out on a second ranking final of the season, having finished runner-up to Ali Carter at the BetVictor English Open, and the chance to extend his record as the oldest ever winner of a ranking title, set a year ago at the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Jones took the opening frame with a break of 87 and he had first chance in the next but made just 12 before missing a difficult plant on a red to a top corner. Williams compiled runs of 24 and 48 for 1-1 then took the lead with a break of 78. In frame four, Jones was on 8 when a red to top corner went awry, and his opponent responded with 49 and 29 to go 3-1 up at the interval.
World number eight Williams extended his advantage with a break of 96, and he looked set to go 5-1 ahead until he missed the yellow to a baulk corner leading 50-31 in frame six. Jones made a superb clearance, including a tough black to the same corner, to raise his hopes of a recovery. A run of 59 put Jones in charge of the seventh, and he sealed it by potting the final brown after his opponent had gained the two snookers he needed. Runs of 38 and 37 in the next brought Jones back to all square at 4-4.
In frame nine, Jones trailed 39-21 when he missed an awkward pink to a top corner, handing Williams an opening to regain the lead. Jones responded with a run of 89 for 5-5, and had a chance to clear from 44-0 down in the decider but ran out of position on 37. A safety exchange on the last red was resolved when Jones fluked it to a top corner, but he then missed the brown with the rest leading 58-44. Williams went full-blooded for a double on the brown to a baulk corner, failing by a tiny margin, and this time Jones potted the balls he needed.
“It was a crazy game, I missed so many balls, I played terrible,” insisted Cwmbran’s Jones. “Mark missed a couple at the wrong time for him, but he was the best player in the match. I just managed to stick in there and twitch my way to the final.
“My arm was just a nightmare. In such a big match, in such an arena, it’s not a good place to be but I tried not to give up completely. I used to play badly and lose, so to be playing badly and winning against the best players in the world is a step in the right direction. Hopefully I can get on the practice table in the morning and give Kyren a bit of a game.
“I haven’t really seen a lot of Kyren, but I’ve heard he’s playing really well. He’s back in form, probably playing the best out of anyone this week. Kyren in form is as difficult as it gets. I’ll feel different mentally going into the final, definitely. Now that I’ve won tournaments, I have got that belief. I don’t want to be losing in finals, so hopefully I can just play better.“
Both reports are comprehensive enough. You will find more details about the frame scores on snooker.org, as always.
The first semi-final was a very high quality and high scoring affair: between them Kyren and Sam scored no less than 10 breaks over 50. Somehow, I suppose, experience eventually aided Kyren to prevail. Sam at his best, is very, very good and extremely dangerous. Those who have watched him play over the years know that. But, that isn’t really reflected by his results over his career so far. The reason is that, although he’s only 32 years old, Sam has suffered a severe chronic neck and shoulder injury, including a slipped C5/6 cervical disc that required anterior cervical disc replacement surgery in July 2024. He deserves every credit for his perseverance despite the painful health issues he went through.
Yesterday in Belfast offered the fans some excellent entertaining snooker, and although, personally I would have preferred some of them going and ending differently, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the matches on offer..
Mark Williams once again demonstrated his extraordinary longevity with a proper demolition of Martin O’Donnell. What’s his secret? Probably the fact that he successfully manages not to put pressure on himself while staying highly competitive at the same time. It’s not an easy thing to do.
Sam Craigie beat Matthew Selt 4-2 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open to reach the quarter-finals of a ranking event for the first time since a serious neck injury which could have ended his career.
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Craigie suffered a slipped disc in his upper spine in 2024 which required major surgery and left him unable to compete in tournaments for ten months. He admitted he feared he might have to quit snooker but fortunately was able to return to the pro tour and has now made a full recovery.
The 32-year-old Tynesider has since climbed back to 72nd in the world and hopes this week could be another breakthrough. A near-flawless display today in Belfast, highlighted by breaks of 108, 96, 100 and 79 earned him a fourth ranking quarter-final appearance. He’ll face Elliot Slessor on Friday in a North East derby and victory would put Craigie into the semi-finals for only the second time, and first since the 2024 German Masters.
“This week my performances have been very good,” he said. “I’ve played consistently well in every round. I’m playing with a new cue. I’ve had quite a few over the last two seasons, but with this one I haven’t played a bad match yet.
“I have to say thank you to Stuart Green at Green Baize because whenever I don’t feel right, I can just walk into the shop and try out cues, and usually I walk out with a new one. I think this might be the one. I’m also back working with Chris Henry, remembering what I was doing when I worked with him before my surgery.
“You can jump up the rankings with one good tournament and get into the Players Series, then you feel like a more established player. Hopefully this can be my week. The only difference with the top players is that they do it in almost every tournament, everyone else can play to a very high level on their day.“
World number 23 Slessor battled to a 4-1 win over Ricky Walden with a top break of 65, reaching his 12th ranking quarter-final and first since the 2025 English Open. “I am trying to find my game this week, I have had problems with my tip,” said Slessor. “It’s not performing how I want it to but I can’t change it now before the next game. I’m delighted to win today, you just have to stick in there because every day is different.“
Kyren Wilson, one of only two top-16 ranked players in the field alongside Mark Williams, may be considered favourite for the title after edging out Pang Junxu 4-3 in a high quality contest. If Wilson beats Anthony McGill tomorrow he will be into his first ranking semi-final since he won the Players Championship in March 2025.
A break of 70 gave him the opening frame today then Pang replied with a 108. The next two frames were shared before Wilson’s 92 made it 3-2. In frame six, China’s Pang was on course for a 147 until he missed a tricky 13th black on 97. Wilson, who won this title two years ago, then took the decider with an excellent 94.
McGill beat Mateusz Baranowski 4-1 to set up a repeat of his epic 2020 Crucible clash with Wilson. The Glaswegian top scored with 95 today as he earned a 28th ranking quarter-final and first since he reached the final of the British Open a year ago.
Scott Donaldson reached his first ranking event quarter-final in six years as he ended hopes of a home winner at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open by beating local favourite Jordan Brown 4-2.
Donaldson enjoyed the best spell of his career between 2017 and 2020 when he appeared in four ranking semi-finals as well as winning the invitational Championship League, but since then the 32-year-old has struggled to produce deep runs. However the Scot did knock Zhao Xintong out of the recent Shenzhen Open on his way to the last 16 and has carried that momentum into the tournament in Belfast this week.
Tonight’s tie with Antrim’s Brown was a tough battle with an average frame time of 31 minutes, but world number 64 Donaldson fought his way to the winning post, making a vital break of 47 in the sixth frame which was his highest of the match.
“I really like Jordan and it’s probably not nice to go out of a match like that, but I had a job to do and I managed to get over the line,” said the Perth cueman. “I don’t feel overly confident at the moment. My game is solid enough but I’ve still got too many errors in it, so I’m sort of fudging my way through matches right now. You just have to keep practising and hope it gets better. When I feel good, I’m really good, but when I’m bad, I’m all over the place.
“Since the pandemic, I haven’t really hit the heights I reached before Covid. There are various reasons for that which I’m not going to go into, but it’s a tough sport. There are so many good players nowadays and I’m not a real top player, so I need to play 110 per cent to have any chance of beating someone like Jordan. I just like playing snooker.
“I’m looking forward to playing Jak Jones. He’s been playing really well and I congratulated him on winning the British Open when I saw him in the practice room. He’s become a real top player now, so I’ll need to play my very best to have any chance of getting a result.”
Jones is just three wins away from a third ranking title of the season having landed the Championship League and British Open. He got the better of a Welsh derby against Daniel Wells tonight by a 4-2 scoreline. World number 24 Jones took a 60-minute opening frame and added the next two for 3-0, before Wells battled back to 3-2 with a top break of 63. Frame six came down to the last red and Jones converted a mid-range pot to a baulk corner to set up the winning chance.
Mark Williams reached the 124th ranking quarter-final of his career by beating Martin O’Donnell 4-0 with a top break of 127. The highest ranked player in the field at eighth in the world, Williams is just three matches away from extending his own record as the oldest winner of a ranking title, set a year ago when he landed the Xi’an Grand Prix at the age of 50 years and 206 days.
Reflecting on tonight’s result the Welshman said: “There were a couple of close frames, especially the first one as Martin could have nicked it. I played OK, missed a few and potted some good ones, that’s what I do. I just try to enjoy it especially with a fantastic crowd like that.“
Williams now meets David Gilbert, who ended the run of giant-killer Ka Wai Cheung with a 4-2 victory. Hong Kong’s Cheung, ranked 110th, had knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stuart Bingham but could not keep his career-best week going. Gilbert, who compiled runs of 85 and 56, continues his strong start to the season as he was runner-up in the Championship League and reached the quarter-finals of the China Open.
Hong Kong China’s Onyee Ng has defeated Mink Nutcharut 4-3 following an absorbing final to win the Australian Women’s Open for a record third time at Mounties in Sydney, Australia.
Previously a winner of the event in 2018 and 2023, Ng was in impressive form throughout this year’s event and produced her best snooker when it mattered to earn consecutive deciding frame victories on the final day to claim her 25th ranking event title.
The victory sees her move to within one of Karen Corr on the all-time standings and with her 16th century break of 103, into third position on the all-time leaderboard behind only Reanne Evans and Bai Yulu.
Having progressed from the group stages without the loss of a frame, Ng earned victories against Agnes Kimura and Jessica Woods to reach the last four. She then recovered from 1-3 down against Evans – with a stunning clearance of 103 in the deciding frame – to reach her fifth Sydney final.
There she would await fellow two-time Australian Open champion Mink Nutcharut, who overcame debutant Jazmin Brown, Narucha Phoemphul and Anupama Ramachandran – who made her highest WWS break to date of 98 during the previous round – to reach her first world ranking event final since February.
It was Ng who would make the early running as she moved halfway to victory with breaks of 58, 54 and 40, before a further contribution of 50 in the third frame looked set to see her claim a 3-0 lead.
A missed red, however, would open the door for Thailand’s Mink who produced a steely clearance of 41 to establish a foothold in the match. She followed with a break of 45 in the next frame to draw level, before she again snatched the fifth frame on the colours to move to within a frame of her first ranking title since January 2025.
But there was to be a final twist, as Ng produced a match high break of 81 to force her second deciding frame of the day, which she would largely dominate courtesy of a well-crafted break of 57.
Speaking after the trophy presentations, Ng revealed that as she trailed Evans 1-3 in the quarter-finals, she took inspiration from her Hong Kong China teammate Ka Wai Cheung, who earlier in the day had similarly recovered from the same deficit to defeat Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
“I am happy to be back in Australia,” explained Ng. “I missed playing at the event in 2025 as I was drawn to play Judd Trump at the Xian Grand Prix on the same dates and was unable to play the event.”
“Both the semi-final and final today were tight and it will only get tighter as the bar keeps raising.
“Kudos to my fellow teammate Ka Wai Cheung for his comeback against Ronnie O’Sullivan from 1-3 down. In fact, there was really a flashback for me when I was 1-3 down against Reanne today!”
The highest break of the week was a run of 114 compiled by Evans to establish her 3-1 lead against Ng in the semi-final.
Whitten, Phoemphul Claim Titles
There was a first WWS title for Theresa Whitten as the Australian player defeated Agnes Kimura 3-0 to lift the Seniors title on Monday evening.
A semi-finalist a year ago, Whitten defeated Monica Brettle, last year’s champion Carlie Tait and finally Kimura to become the 30th individual winner of a Seniors title on the Tour.
In the Under-21 tournament there was a repeat victory for top ranked Narucha Phoemphul, who defeated New Zealander Jazmin Brown 3-0 to claim her ninth junior title.
The Challenge Cup, for players who did not qualify for the final stages, was won by Dianne Spring, following a 2-1 success against Krystal Aw decided on the final black.
Following a hugely successful four days of snooker which saw the tournament achieve its highest-ever entry to date, WWS would like to thank the Australian Billiards and Snooker Association for its smooth running of the event, as well as Jason Hastings and The Snooker Shop for their continued support.
The WWS Tour continues this Saturday with the staging of the Niche Cues Women’s Snooker Open, from 24-27 October in Malaysia.
Congratulations to all winners!
A bit off topic but I need to say this: I find it absolutely baffling that the women tour, with little financial means, features events around the world, whilst “WORLD snooker” remains largely UK based, notably because all qualifying events – that shouldn’t exist IMO – are played in the UK in rather soulless environments.
And, one last thing. Hats off to “Mounties”. They are a fantastic club and do a great work to promote the events played at their club, with matches shown live on Youtube, making all the players always feel very welcome.
The massacre continued at the Waterfront! We are only midway into the event and only two of the top 16 seeds are still “alive” in the tournament: Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson .
Here is what happened yesterday as reported by WST:
Jak Jones’ phenomenal season got even better as he beat legend John Higgins 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
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Welshman Jones, age 33, had never won a professional tournament before this season, but he has been the outstanding player of 2026/27 so far having landed ranking titles at the Championship League and the British Open. And he’ll have no doubts that he can capture another trophy this week at the Waterfront Hall having beaten four-time World Champion Higgins – especially with so many of the top seeds out of the running. Defeat for Higgins means that only two of the world’s top 16 – Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson – remain in the draw.
The first three frames today were scrappy affairs, Higgins taking two of them. World number 24 Jones then stepped up a gear and dominated, making breaks of 121, 133 and 49 as he earned a third round fixture with Daniel Wells, who beat Ryan Day 4-3 in a Welsh derby.
“I was a bit edgy at the beginning, then I made a good break to go 2-2 and that settled me down,” said Jones. “This season has changed my life, I feel like a tournament winner with a lot more belief. I had always thought I could win them but actually doing it makes all the difference.”
Williams enjoyed a 4-2 win over Zhang Anda, taking the last two frames with breaks of 78 and 58 to set up a tie with Luca Brecel or Martin O’Donnell. Last year, Williams became the oldest ever winner of a ranking title when he landed the Xi’an Grand Prix and the 51-year-old could extend that record this week.
“I made two good breaks from 2-2,” said the Welshman. “It’s in there somewhere, it just doesn’t come out as often as it used to.” Asked for his view on why so many of the top 16 have been knocked out, Williams said: “The top 16 can’t get easy draws any more. Everyone you play has won a few matches and they are really good players.“
Ka Wai Cheung followed up his tremendous 4-3 win over Ronnie O’Sullivan with an equally impressive 4-0 whitewash of Stuart Bingham. Breaks of 56, 54 and 111 helped Hong Kong’s 27-year-old Cheung reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career.
“Compared to the game against Ronnie, I got more chances but didn’t manage to win the frames in one visit, some of them went scrappy and I was lucky to get another chance,” said world number 110 Cheung, who now meets David Gilbert or Gao Yang. “I don’t have that much experience playing in the main venues so I am very happy to win two matches here. The fans always applaud when you play a good shot, it’s a great experience for me.”
China’s Pang Junxu edged out in-form Liam Davies 4-3 in a dramatic finish. The first six frames were shared, Davies making breaks of 69 and 103 while Pang made 112 and 73. In the decider, Welshman Davies was on 60 when he missed a difficult red to a top corner, and Pang capitalised with a superb 81 clearance. He now faces Kyren Wilson.
Sam Craigie took a 3-0 lead over Xu Si with a top break of 103, then saw his opponent come back to 3-3, but won the decider with a run of 75. He now meets Matthew Selt.
David Gilbert came through a dramatic final frame to beat Gao Yang 4-3 on the last black and reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
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Gilbert admitted he was lucky to still be in the hunt for the Alex Higgins Trophy but he’s through to a third round clash with world number 110 Ka Wai Cheung and could be just four wins away from what would be the biggest title of his career. The Englishman started the season strongly with runs to the final of the Championship League and the quarter-finals of the China Open and hopes for another deep run in Belfast.
China’s Gao, looking to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time, scored heavily with breaks of 131 and 86 in taking a 3-2 lead, before Gilbert got the better of frame six. In the decider, Gao was on 57 and just two pots from victory when his attempt at the penultimate red to a baulk corner rattled in the jaws. It came down to the colours and Gilbert converted an excellent long pot on the brown then went on to clear the table.
“I was impressed with Gao, he’s very tidy,” said two-time Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert. “We both made a mess of the last but I potted a great brown in the end. I’m very lucky to still be in and very grateful. I was playing great at the start of the season then knocked it on the head for a month. But in the last week I have been hitting balls again. I should be out of the tournament – who knows this could be my week. I imagine everyone feels it’s an opportunity. But the likes of Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams are definitely still favourites.”
Jordan Brown raised a massive cheer for his home fans at the Waterfront Hall as he edged out Michael Holt 4-3. Antrim’s Brown is clearly inspired by this venue as he reached the quarter-finals here last year and knocked out Mark Allen yesterday. He made breaks of 113 and 101 today as well as a crucial 66 in the decider.
“To make those breaks in a best-of-seven, it makes you hard to beat,” said former Welsh Open champion Brown, whose next opponent is Scott Donaldson, a 4-1 winner over Noppon Saengkham. “Michael played really well too, it was a close game. I got a touch fortunate to get the chance I needed in the last frame. It’s always special playing in front of a crowd like that in this arena.“
I haven’t much to add to these reports.
It’s good for the event that Jordan Brown progressed further and it may also be good for Mark Allen who he beat earlier this week. Mark Allen wasn’t outplayed by Jordan Brown, and if Jordan gets deep in the tournament it may help Mark regain some confidence in his own abilities. He certainly needs it as he’s been extremely unwell mentally as he revealed in this interview:
Mark Allen reveals he made snooker return after 10-week stay in mental health clinic
Former world number one vows to show ‘fighting qualities’
Mark Allen lost to fellow Northern Irishman Jordan Brown at the Northern Ireland Open on Tuesday. Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images
Mark Allen has revealed he spent 10 weeks in a mental health clinic before discharging himself to play in this week’s Northern Ireland Open.
In a statement posted on X, the 40-year-old said he was “not OK” but vowed to show his renowned “fighting qualities” as he continues his recovery.
Allen’s 4-2 defeat against his friend and compatriot Jordan Brown on Tuesday was his first match since he lost the World Championship semi-final to Wu Yize in April, when he missed a black off its spot that would have given him the win.
After losing to Brown, Allen conducted an emotional interview with TNT Sports in which he said he was “really overwhelmed”, and suggested his career could be over. He wrote on Wednesday: “Everything I said in that interview was true. However, rest assured I’m doing my best to turn things round.
“I have been in a mental health clinic for the last 10 weeks, finally discharging so I could attempt to play in Belfast. I owed that to my family, in particular my daughter to see me play for what could be the last time … I also owed it to the fans who have supported me throughout my 21 years on tour.
“I also owed that to World Snooker who have been amazing from day one in all this, in particular [chief executive] Simon Brownell and [WPBSA Players chief operating officer] Neil Tomkins who have remained in touch regularly, even Simon paying me a visit in the clinic itself.
“I’m not OK, but I’m OK in that itself. I’ve been much worse in the last few months than you saw yesterday. I literally didn’t see a future in anything. My daughter kept me going, the therapists, staff and all the other patients were amazing and helped me through some really dark days.
“I see the light now that I couldn’t see before but I do now. I also know it won’t happen overnight. I’m a work in progress. My fight and determination on the table has always been there for ones to see. I need to show those same fighting qualities off it now for a while.
“Please don’t detract anything from Jordan yesterday, he’s been aware of my struggles and that can’t have been easy to play in but he handled it with grace and skill as I knew he would. I’m proud to call him a friend.
“I hope the rest of the event is a success and I will continue my treatments going forward and then see what’s ahead.”
Since his defeat against Wu, Allen has stayed away from the tour for unspecified personal reasons that are understood not to relate to any repercussions from the manner of his defeat at the Crucible.
Allen has won both UK and Masters titles in 12 ranking tournament wins, and has reached the world championship semi-finals three times. He was ranked world number one for four months in 2024.
It’s also good to read that Simon Brownell and Neil Tomkins from WPBSA have been in touch and shown their support actively. It’s reassuring for all players as well because it shows that although WPBSA is not actually the players’ employer, the people at the helm don’t share the cold and strictly “money driven” mindset that Barry Hearn so often showed and promoted.
The first round in Belfast has proven to be carnage with 10 of the top 16 seeds losing their opening match, and that’s not counting Wu Yize who withdrew before the start of the event. Also, yesterday, the defending champion left as well as he lost early in the second round.
I’ not sure if that happened since I’m following snooker but I can’t remember an other occurrence.
Maybe this event is turning into a great opportunity for some lower ranked players and young players.
Mark Allen hinted at retirement after losing 4-2 to Jordan Brown in an emotional return to action at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
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This was Allen’s first appearance in a tournament this season as he deals with personal issues and the occasion seemed overwhelming for the 40-year-old Antrim player as he faced his close friend Brown at his home venue. Interviewed by TNT Sports after the match, the 12-time ranking event winner said: “If I hadn’t been playing Jordan I wouldn’t have come back. I felt if I was going to play one last time, playing here at the Waterfront where it all started in 2005, against one of my best mates, I thought that was a better way to sign out.
“I have been flooded with support but the problems are within. I just don’t see a future in snooker if I’m honest. It’s sad to say because it’s all I have loved to do since I was 12. The last few months have been really difficult and it has sort of put snooker into perspective for me. At the moment I am just trying to survive.“
The match was also a huge occasion for Brown as he needs a rankings boost to reduce the threat of tour relegation at the end of the season. The world number 65 compiled breaks of 53 and 80 as he set up a last-32 meeting with Michael Holt.
“I did well to hold myself together,” said Brown, who reached the quarter-finals at the Waterfront last year. “First and foremost it’s great to see Mark back playing, he is obviously going through a tough time and I’m with him every step of the way, as everyone is. I take no pleasure in winning that match because there are a lot bigger things going on. As difficult as that was, I have my own battles with tour survival. I lost my mum recently and then lost motivation to play. So it’s great to be out there again playing some decent stuff.
“I’m always inspired here, it’s one of the best venues on tour. Hopefully I can go even further this year. Today was the hardest match I have ever had to play, without doubt. Now I can concentrate on the rest of the tournament. Mark wished me all best for the rest of the week and that sums up the guy. We are all behind him, I miss him and I love him. We all want to see him back healthy and well and playing the game he loves.“
Wuhan Open champion Chang Bingyu lost 4-3 in a see-saw match against Ryan Day. Breaks of 108 and 82 helped Day race into a 3-0 lead, but he later missed a short-range pink when on the verge of winning 4-1. Chang pinched that frame then made a 91 for 3-3, before taking a 55-0 lead in the decider, only for Day to make a brilliant 63 clearance.
World number one Zhao Xintong became the latest seed to go tumbling, losing 4-2 to Gao Yang in a Chinese derby. Zhao started strongly with breaks of 129 and 64 to go 2-0 ahead, but Gao then took control with runs of 71, 112 and 71. Defeats for Allen and Zhao mean that 11 of the world’s top 16 have lost in the opening round.
Mark Williams, winner of this event in 2017, top-scored with 72 in a 4-2 win over Robbie Williams, while Michael Holt impressed in a 4-1 defeat of Zhou Yuelong.
Jack Lisowski’s reign as BetVictor Northern Ireland Open champion is over as he was beaten 4-1 by Anthony McGill, who has regained his enthusiasm for competing at the top level.
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Lisowski beat Judd Trump in a memorable final a year ago to land his first ranking title, but his defence lasted only until the last 32 stage as he became the latest in a string of top seeds to tumble out of the draw at the Waterfront Hall. Glasgow’s McGill goes into the last 16 and will face Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski on Thursday.
A break of 74 gave McGill the opening frame before Lisowski levelled. Two-time ranking event winner McGill then dominated the last three frames with top runs of 61 and 73 as he beat Lisowski for the sixth time in seven meetings.
“I loved it out there,” said world number 38 McGill. “I feel I am getting a buzz back for competing, I want to be out there fighting which I have not had for a while. Win or lose I am enjoying it. There are peaks and troughs and I have not been into it for a long time. I am enjoying practising which is the key thing.”
McGill had to pull out of the recent Shenzhen Open as he went down with a severe illness after arriving in China. He added: “I was in hospital for eight days. I feel fine now and really appreciate my health because I didn’t feel good for a while. The nurses were amazing and the hospital was so good.”
Baranowski reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career by beating Wang Xinbo 4-3. The 29-year-old Pole led 3-1 with a top break of 100 then China’s Wang took frame five and might have made a 147 in the sixth had he not missed a mid-range final red on 112. The decider came down to the colours and Baranowski trapped his opponent in a snooker on the yellow which set up the chance for victory.
“There were some scrappy frames and I was happy to play safety because I knew I had more experience than Wang,” said the Baron. “I need to learn how to deal with this pressure. I played better in my other matches and felt comfortable, but today I was in really big trouble in my mind. I’m happy to win and have the chance to play better in my next match. For sure, I would have lost that match last season. Playing in a venue like this is a new experience for me. This is an important step forward and big ranking points.“
Kyren Wilson was one of only three top-16 ranked players in the second round and he remained in the hunt for the Alex Higgins Trophy with a 4-2 success against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, making breaks of 92, 139, 84 and 103 in one of the best performances of the tournament so far. The 2024 World Champion, who won this event two years ago, now meets Pang Junxu or Liam Davies.
Matthew Selt reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time this season by beating Louis Heathcote 4-2 with top breaks of 72, 66 and 59. He now faces Sam Craigie or Xu Si.
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open 2026 Day Two Evening
Shock results continued at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as Martin O’Donnell, recovering from a neck injury, edged out Judd Trump 4-3 to reach the last 32.
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World number three Trump joins Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Barry Hawkins, Chris Wakelin, Xiao Guodong and Ali Carter as the top-16 ranked players already knocked out in the opening round at the Waterfront Hall. A record four-time winner of this event since 2018 – and runner-up in each of the last two seasons – Trump falls early this time and remains without a ranking title since the German Masters in February.
O’Donnell had lost all eight of his previous meetings with Trump but the former Welsh Open finalist took one of the biggest scalps of his career as he set up a clash with Luca Brecel.
World number 56 O’Donnell won the opening frame with a break of 64 before Trump levelled with a 91. The next two were shared then O’Donnell regained the lead with a 52 before Trump’s 94 made it 3-3. The decider was a fragmented affair but it was controlled by O’Donnell, winning it 87-5.
“I was really looking forward to the game tonight,” said the 40-year-old. “We play behind closed doors at qualifiers a lot so it was exciting to play in a great occasion like this against Judd, who I believe is the best player in the world. It was a great opportunity to test my game against his and thankfully I finally got one over on him. It’s up to me to put myself in these situations more often, getting the job done in the qualifiers and then I can enjoy it at the venues.
“Over the last ten days I felt I was starting to hit the ball really well and I’m delighted that showed tonight. When you beat Judd you feel you can have a deep run, but the results over the last two days show the strength in depth on the tour – everyone is tough.“
O’Donnell was recently diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in his neck and has battled through pain in several matches this season. “It’s not great – I don’t know if it will ever go back to normal without an operation,” he said. “I am doing everything I can, I have had physiotherapy, acupuncture and injections.
“I am managing it and not practising as much – just doing enough to feel competitive. I love this game and when it gets taken away from you for a while it’s tough. It might be a good thing for me at my age. Maybe six hours a day for six days a week is not going to be right for me going forward.”
Jak Jones top scored with 103 in a 4-1 victory over Tom Ford, boosting his hopes of a third ranking title this season having already landed the Championship League and British Open.
Stuart Bingham registered the 1,000th professional match win of his career, only the sixth player to reach that tally, as he beat Yao Pengcheng 4-2 with a top run of 68. Zhang Anda scored breaks of 64, 110 and 72 in a 4-2 defeat of Liam Pullen.
WST is at it again with the “shock results” expression. The truth is that there are nearly no shock results anymore. The general level in snooker is now really high. Lower ranked players are no more overwhelmed playing top players at venues in front of fans because they do it all the time. The qualifiers played in cubicles with no one watching are a thing of the past. And, of course, the “class of 92” generation are now in or approaching their fifties, and are still dangerous. That kind longevity was not even conceivable 20 years ago. We should (try to) ejoy them while they are still playing, without entertaining unrealistic expectations.
