The 2025 Northern Ireland Open final will be contested today between two close friends. Indeed Judd Trump will face Jack Lisowski in Belfast today. Here is how we got there as reported by WST:
Jack Lisowski kept his tremendous run going at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he made three centuries in a 6-1 thrashing of Zhou Yuelong to reach his seventh ranking event final and raise his hopes of a first title.
One of the best natural talents in the sport, Lisowski produced a wonderful display of long potting and break-building as he dismissed Zhou in less than two hours at the Waterfront Hall. In his six previous ranking finals, which all came between 2018 and 2021, 34-year-old Lisowski was up against Judd Trump three times, Neil Robertson twice and Mark Selby once. And the left-hander is sure to face another huge test on Sunday as he will meet either world number one and close friend Trump, or home favourite Mark Allen.
First to nine frames will earn £100,000 and lift the Alex Higgins Trophy, and victory would be a career-best moment for Lisowski, particularly given the challenges he has faced away from the table in recent months as his father sadly passed away in March.
Coming into this week there were few signs that Lisowski was a title contender as he had not previously reached a quarter-final this season and had slipped to 29th in the world, but he is playing with a new cue tip and working with coach Chris Henry for the first time which – so far – has created a perfect storm. In five matches this week he has fired six centuries and 12 more breaks over 50.
The opening frame today came down to the colours and Lisowski, leading by 15 points, laid a clever snooker on the brown, which Zhou missed twice and he was soon 1-0 down. China’s Zhou, who was runner-up to Allen at last month’s BetVictor English Open, registered just five points in the next three frames as Lisowski piled in breaks of 125, 124 and 66 for 4-0.
In frame five, Lisowski led 54-37 when he missed the final green to a centre pocket and Zhou later got the better of a safety battle on the blue then cleared to pull a frame back. Lisowski regained momentum with a run of 125 in frame six and looked set to finish the tie in the seventh until he missed a red to centre on 40. Zhou made 59 then played safe, and Lisowski enjoyed a slice of good fortune as his attempted long pot on the last red rattled it in the jaws and dropped into the opposite baulk corner. From there he added the points he needed to delight the fans in Belfast who are backing him this week.
“It was really good today, it has been a great week so far and now obviously it’s all about tomorrow,” said Gloucestershire’s Lisowski. “I feel like I can pot any ball at the moment, I’m more surprised when I miss. I have been putting the work in and when it comes off out there it’s a great feeling. I have changed my cue, changed my tip, and got a coach with new ideas so maybe it’s a new version of myself. My game is heading in the right direction which is a relief because I have had a quiet couple of seasons where I have played some really good games but not put a run together.
“I think I’m way better than I was when I was last in a final. My good game is much stronger and my bad game is a bit better too. I haven’t got a clue who will win tonight, it doesn’t make a difference to me. It would be so special to beat either of them. If I apply myself well I’ve got a chance.”
Judd Trump came from 3-2 down to beat local favourite Mark Allen 6-3 at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, setting up his 50th ranking final and a clash with friend Jack Lisowski.
Trump and Lisowski have been close since their junior days and Sunday’s final could be an emotional occasion, particularly given that Lisowski’s father passed away earlier this year. Both will be determined to get to nine frames and finish the night with the Alex Higgins Trophy in his hands, and Trump has the added motivation of ending a streak of ten months without a title.
The pair have met in three ranking finals, Trump winning 10-7 at the 2020 World Grand Prix, 9-2 at the 2021 German Masters and 4-0 at the 2021 Gibraltar Open. All three of those were played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes during the Covid era, so this will be their first final in front of a crowd – and what better setting than the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Bristol’s 36-year-old Trump will be aiming for a 31st ranking title and first since the 2024 UK Championship last December. Number one in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, he was down in 34th place on this season’s rankings prior to this week, but will now shoot up that list especially if he banks the £100,000 top prize.
The 2019 World Champion has shown only flashes of his best this week, making just two centuries compared to Lisowski’s six, but his exceptional safety game has helped him into the final.
Both players struggled to settle into tonight’s contest and after 79 minutes of play the score was 1-1. Trump was first to find some rhythm with a break of 73 to take the advantage, before Antrim’s Allen hit back with 68 and 135 to lead 3-2. The crucial sixth frame came down to a safety battle on the green and Trump trailed 52-46 when he laid a tough snooker, and he took the chance that followed to square the tie.
A break of 82 gave Trump the lead and in frame eight he was 62-0 ahead when he missed the black to a top corner. Allen had a chance to counter but ran out of position with two reds left, and Trump later converted a clever cross double on the last red to go 5-3 ahead. Early in frame nine, Allen missed a tough mid-range red to a top corner and handed Trump the chance to make 66 which proved enough for victory.
“It was a tough game, Mark never makes it easy for you,” said Trump, who won this title three times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2023. “That’s his game plan, he is very patient and his safety is good. It’s hard to get any rhythm against him at the start, plus I missed a few easy balls. The sixth frame was massive, that was the turning point. I got some momentum after that and my game was a bit more attacking.
“I will be giving it my all tomorrow, it will be an incredible final. It’s brilliant to see Jack playing this well, he has had a tough time. Everyone is glad to see him back. We grew up together and played in pretty much every junior final, so it’s amazing to be playing him in this final 20 years later. An arena like this deserves a great final.”
Once again with only two matches played yesterday, the above reports are comprehensive enough.
According to Cuetracker Judd and Jack have played each other 24 times in professional tournaments before their encounter today, Judd winning 16 times and Jack winning 8 times. Before today, they have met in a final three times and Judd has won each of those three finals, two of them quite comprehensively. All three finals came during the 2020/21 season. Looking at those stats, you have to make Judd a clear favourite today … but I’d love to see Jack “upset” the odds and lift the trophy tonight!
Jack Lisowski is just two wins away from his first ranking title as he scored a tremendous 5-3 win over defending champion Kyren Wilson to reach the semi-finals of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Widely considered the best player yet to win a ranking event, Lisowski has been runner-up in six finals and few can match the 34-year-old in terms of natural talent but he is still waiting to convert that into silverware. On Saturday from 1pm he will meet Tom Ford or Zhou Yuelong and will hope to move a step closer to a career-defining moment.
Lisowski’s father sadly passed away last March and he admitted in an interview with TNT Sports earlier this week that for a while he struggled to hold back tears while competing, but he is now “feeling stronger and enjoying snooker more.” The left-hander has played superbly to knock out Mark Selby, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and now world number two Wilson.
A break of 68 gave Wilson the opening frame and in the second he trailed 25-23 when he over-cut a tricky black to a top corner. Lisowski punished him with a run of 41 for 1-1 then compiled runs of 63 and 68 to go 3-1 ahead at the interval. Wilson pulled one back with a break of 70 before Lisowski’s 104 made it 4-2.
In frame seven, Lisowski trailed 56-33 when he missed a tough pot on the penultimate red along a baulk cushion, allowing his opponent to add the points he needed to halve the deficit. Wilson had an early chance in the eighth but missed an awkward red with the rest and Lisowski’s marvellous long red set up a winning 76.
“To beat Kyren, who was the best player in the world last season and won this last year, shows where my game is at,” said world number 29 Lisowski. “It was as hard a game as I could have had, a really big test and I stood up to it. I am hitting every shot well and felt great. I just need to concentrate and get focussed from the start of the match, after that it comes eaiser.”
Lisowski and his friend Giles Martin have been working on a new cue tip called Vortex and the Gloucestershire cueman believes that has been a key factor in his performances this week. “I have been trying for years to find the right one,” he added. “I am excited about it, it gets a lot of spin on the white, it’s very accurate and consistent. Finding the right tip has has been so frustrating, I have definitely lost matches because of it. Giles is the best tip fitter in the world in my opinion so with him I felt we had a chance of getting it right.”
Judd Trump scored his 13th consecutive ranking event win over John Higgins with a 5-2 success to reach the semi-finals and feels his game has “taken a step forward” this week.
Remarkably, Trump has won every ranking event match against four-time World Champion Higgins since 2019 and that sequence now covers 13 fixtures. With one century break and four more over 70 today, this was perhaps Trump’s best performance of the season so far and the world number one is into his first semi-final of the campaign.
Trump will meet Mark Allen or Jordan Brown at the Waterfront Hall on Saturday at 7pm and will be contesting the 70th ranking event semi-final of his career. He is chasing a fourth Alex Higgins Trophy, having lifted the crystal in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023, and a 31st ranking title in all. After a slow start to the season – he came into this week in 34th place on the one-year list – Trump now looks to be returning to his brilliant best.
Higgins took the first frame of a high quality contest with a break of 61, before 36-year-old Trump compiled runs of 93 and 82 to lead 2-1. A scrappy fourth when Higgins’ way but the veteran managed just 19 points after the interval as Trump fired runs of 72, 72 and 121.
“My scoring was the difference today,” said Trump. “After the interval my long potting was great and I scored heavily. The first time I won this I could feel the warmth of the crowd and every time I come back here it inspires me to play well. I could easily go the whole season without winning a tournament, there’s no guarantee. I would love to get that out of the way here so I can relax. I feel my game has taken a forward step here no matter what happens, I feel a lot more comfortable with my cue and how I am playing.”
Mark Allen managed to put friendship to one side to beat fellow local favourite Jordan Brown 5-2 in the quarter-finals, boosting his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time.
Allen described the night as a “strange atmosphere” as he went head-to-head with best friend and practice partner Brown, but kept his focus to progress to the last four of his home tournament. The Pistol will meet world number one Judd Trump on Saturday evening at the Waterfront Hall, with the winner to go through to Sunday’s final to face either Jack Lisowski or Zhou Yuelong, who enjoyed a 5-4 success against Tom Ford.
World number eight Allen lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in 2021 and 2022 and is now into a 44th ranking event semi-final and remains in the hunt for a 13th title. The Antrim cueman is also looking to strengthen his position at the top of the BetVictor Series rankings, having beaten Zhou in the final of the first event in Brentwood last month, with a £150,000 bonus up for grabs for the leading money winner across the four-event series.
After a raucous welcome into the bear pit for both players, Allen opened with a break of 101 then Brown responded with a 131 for 1-1. A scrappy third went Allen’s way, then in the fourth Brown trailed 57-20 when he missed the penultimate red to a top corner, and he found himself 3-1 behind.
An excellent 120 saw Brown pull one back and he had a chance to snatch frame six from 65-4 behind but again missed the penultimate red, this time to a centre pocket on 28, allowing Allen to take advantage for 4-2. Again Brown had chances in frame seven, but when he failed to pot the black off its spot leading 41-0 that proved his shot as Allen cleared superbly with 71.
“I was relieved to get over the line, it was not a lot of fun playing Jordan,” said 39-year-old Allen. “It may have been a great occasion for the neutral as we had a lot of support, but it was a strange atmosphere because they want us both to do well. I don’t get much enjoyment out of beating Jordan because I always support him otherwise.
“He played a lot of good stuff, made two good centuries, he just missed one or two balls at key moments. If it had gone 4-3 he would have been confident. This is where he belongs. I have practised with him for 25 years and I know what he is capable of. But when you lose confidence in this game then things can get on top of you. I said to him at the end that he has had three good wins this week and he needs to take the positives forward because he is a class act.
“I am here to win the tournament and it would be great to do that in front of my home fans again. But I have two very tough matches ahead of me. I always look forward to games against Judd, I have a decent record against him (Allen has won their last three meetings). He brings the best out of me because he is in the top five or six players of all time so I am always focussed, I know I won’t get a second chance. I grew up with him through the junior ranks so I am not scared of what he can do because I back my own ability. If I play my best stuff, that will be good enough a lot of the time.”
China’s Zhou is into his eighth ranking event semi-final and will meet Lisowski at 1pm on Saturday. Both players are chasing a first ranking title and world number 30 Zhou is aiming to reach a fifth final and second of the season.
Breaks of 90 and 60 put Ford 2-0 ahead before Zhou battled back to 2-2. Ford regained the lead in the fifth then made an 82 for 4-2, then Zhou hit back again with 59 and 66 for 4-4. The decider looked to be going Ford’s way until he missed a red to top corner on 53, and Zhou pulled out a marvellous 77 clearance which included a tremendous pot on the last red along a side cushion.
“It’s a big win for me because I didn’t feel as if I had good touch today, to be able to turn things around,” admitted 27-year-old Zhou. “I have played Jack Lisowski many times, and his style is very distinctive, extremely fast and very precise. Against an opponent like that, all I can do is to focus on myself, control the pace, and play my own game.”
Again, those reports are comprehensive and I don’t have much to add to them.
I have a feeling that this may be Jack Lisowski week and that’s not just because I believe that he might want to win it to honour his late father’s memory. Watching him play this week, It seems to me that something has changed. He still attacks, but maybe he doesn’t take as many low percentage shots as he used to do? Maybe he looks more focussed? I’m not sure. At the time of writing, Jack has already booked his place in the Final. He beat Zhou by 6-1 this afternoon, and scored five breaks over 50 in the process, including three centuries. Of course, both Judd Trump and Mark Allen have won their fair share of tournaments while Jack is still to win his first and experience does matter. If Judd were to prevail tonight, it would probably make things even more difficult for Jack, as, for a long time they practiced together, and they are friends. But even so … I believe that Jack has a real chance tomorrow…1
Or am I blinded by “wishful thinking?” … who knows? ↩︎
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Five Afternoon
Mark Allen boosted his hopes of winning the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for a third time as he reached the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Aaron Hill – a player he believes is destined for the very top.
Local favourite Allen got the better of Cork’s up-and-coming Hill and will now meet either Shaun Murphy or another home hero Jordan Brown in the last eight at the Waterfront Hall at 7pm on Friday. World number eight Allen will be making his 70th appearance in the quarter-finals of a ranking event and the 39-year-old dreams of lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy again having won it in 2021 and 2022.
He came into the current season well outside the top 16 in the Race to the Crucible and facing the possibility of having to qualify for the World Championship, but having won the BetVictor English Open last month and with another run this week, the left-hander has regained his status as one of snooker’s toughest competitors.
A break of 137 gave Allen the opening frame before 23-year-old Hill levelled with a run of 65. World number 57 Hill had chances to take frame three but couldn’t convert and Allen eventually got the better of a safety battle on the last red and cleared for 2-1. That proved crucial as 12-time ranking event winner Allen took the last two frames with runs of 53 and 69.
“I know more than most how dangerous Aaron can be,” said Allen. “He could have gone 2-1 up, I pinched that frame and that turned the match. He let his head drop a bit and I played some good stuff after that. I think Aaron can go to the very top. He’s got a great head on young shoulders and he works hard. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he will go away from the match today fuming because he would have fully expected to beat me even though I’m one of the top players. He is so confident in his own ability, he backs himself and plays the big shots.
“For a while most of the best young players were Chinese and that’s all credit to them. Now we have some very good British, Irish and European players and hopefully there are more to come, so the future is bright.
“At the start of the season I hadn’t looked at the rankings. I was out having food with Stephen Maguire one day and he told me I was outside the top 16 in the Crucible race, I just wasn’t aware until then, I didn’t realise I was that far down. But I always back my ability. I try my best in every match and try to win tournaments, and that takes care of the rankings.
“Tomorrow night is going to be huge whatever happens. Shaun Murphy is the form player in the game at the moment and hard to stop. If Jordan gets through it will be two hometown lads and best friends.“
That won’t be the only blockbuster clash on Friday as at 12pm world number one Judd Trump will meet four-time World Champion John Higgins. Trump beat Gary Wilson 4-1 today with top breaks of 132, 95 and 83 to reach his first ranking quarter-final of the season and 104th of his career.
Higgins, who won his first ranking title exactly 31 years ago today, saw off Si Jiahui 4-1 with top runs of 54, 64, 64 and 58 and is into the last eight of a ranking event for the 153rd time.
“I played pretty solid, you need a good all-round game against Si because he’s such a dangerous player,” said Higgins, who has lost his last 12 ranking event meetings with Trump. “I had a few bits of luck during the game which helps in a best of seven. Judd is one of the hardest players in the world to beat, he’s got very few weaknesses. I’ll have to play my best to have a chance.“
Tom Ford continued to make progress despite a shoulder injury as he beat Yuan Sijun 4-2 with top breaks of 65, 53, 52 and 66. He now meets Zhou Yuelong at 7pm on Friday.
The Waterfront Hall will be packed to the rafters on Friday night in Belfast as Jordan Brown beat Shaun Murphy 4-2 to set us a massive quarter-final against fellow local hero Mark Allen.
The two Antrim cuemen will go head to head at 7pm on Friday evening with an electric atmosphere guaranteed. Brown has struggled on the table over the past two seasons and remains in danger of relegation from the tour, but his confidence has come flooding back this week with wins over World Champion Zhao Xintong, Ashley Hugill and now in-form Murphy who had won 15 of his previous 16 matches.
World number 55 Brown had won just three matches in eight other ranking events so far this season, but has now notched four victories in this event alone. Allen, who beat Aaron Hill 4-1 earlier today, won their only previous meeting by a 6-4 scoreline at the 2022 UK Championship.
Brown took the first three frames tonight with top breaks of 70 and 61 before Murphy hit back with 135 and 55 for 3-2. Frame six came down to the colours and, under intense pressure, Brown executed fine pots on green, brown, blue and pink to reach the fourth ranking event quarter-final of his career, pumping his fist as the last ball went in.
“I am over the moon, I was really up for it tonight with the crowd behind me,” said 2021 Welsh Open champion Brown. “I was so solid to 3-0, then I made a couple of mistakes and Shaun played well so at 3-2 I was under it. I stayed patient and disciplined and waited for a chance.
“I was nervous throughout, you need some nerves in this game. That’s why I am working with Fergal O’Brien this season, he has helped me massively to get through those tough moments. I’ve had some difficult times but I felt if could get one good win then I could go on a run, as I have done in past.”
Kyren Wilson continued the defence of his title with a 4-2 victory over He Guoqiang. World number two Wilson will now meet Jack Lisowski on Friday afternoon and victory would give him a first ranking event semi-final of the season.
“I was solid when I needed to be and scored heavily,” said Wilson, who fired breaks of 63, 75, 77 and 53. “I felt like I wasn’t going to miss which is a nice feeling to have, though I lacked a bit of concentration at times. This is a fantastic venue, it’s enjoyable to compete here.”
Lisowski beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-2 in an exciting contest where the six frames took just 60 minutes. From 2-1 down, Lisowski won three in a row with top breaks of 94 and 76 to reach his first ranking event quarter-final since the BetVictor Welsh Open in February.
Once again, the reports are extensive enough and I don’t have much to add.
But this morning I stumbled upon this article, published earlier this month. The title is the usual clickbait stuff and is misleading. However here is the interesting part:
… But the greatest player to ever grace a snooker table has no plans to call time on his career just yet, he revealed this week.
Speaking ahead of his return to the game at the Xi’an Grand Prix on Tuesday, O’Sullivan told The Express: ‘I’ve always said there’s nothing left for me to achieve in snooker, but that’s (an eighth win at the Crucible) all that’s left for me to achieve.
‘I’m going to aim for another two or three world titles, knowing I won’t get three, I probably won’t get two but I might get one.
‘I’m going to aim high and I always think if you aim well above what you want to achieve and if you don’t reach it, you reach somewhere you think you’re happy with.
‘There’s no point saying I’d like to make the quarters of the worlds because that’s probably all I’d do. But if I say I want to win another two or three then I might win one. It’s about pushing my mind beyond the end line to make it possible.’
At his last attempt to conquer the Crucible back in March, O’Sullivan was knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winner Zhao Xintong.
Speaking about his performance in the tournament, the Brit added: ‘I was close even though I wasn’t playing great. I didn’t have a good cue, I had problems with my tip, it was all over the place. I’m not making excuses.
‘Now I can just play snooker for the next two or three years, there’s only one thing left that anyone talks about which is winning another world title.’
Ronnie seems to be pretty happy in Dubai and in his private life. I can totally relate to what he says about how the climate in England weights you down, physically, mentally and emotionally. I opted to live in Greece for the same reasons. I got stuck here in Santorini during the lockdown, alone with my cats, in a small condo that had very little comfort. Despite this, I felt happier than in Brussels, where in winter, the days are very short, even in daytime the light is poor, and it rains nearly every day. You can go for weeks without seeing the sun. It is very debilitating.
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Four Afternoon
Jack Lisowski is working with renowned coach Chris Henry for the first time and that seems to be paying off already as he beat Mark Selby 4-2 to reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
Lisowski will now meet Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in a mouth-watering tie on Thursday between two of the fastest players in the sport. In today’s battle with Selby, Lisowski lost the opening frame on the final black but then fired breaks of 61, 103 and 51 to lead 3-1. Selby pulled one back with a 65 before Lisowski settled the result with a 65 in frame six.
World number 29 Lisowski’s father sadly passed away in March and he told TNT Sports today: “I didn’t have a lot of fight in me for the first few months. When I played a month after my dad died, in every frame I felt so emotional. I wish I had taken longer off, but I kept going. It doesn’t get easier, but I am getting used to it.“
Asked about his work with Henry, Lisowski added: “It is quite different for me, it has given me things to work on. Chris is helping me to understand the science of the white ball and the way you strike it, how side throws the ball in different ways. I didn’t know that before, I didn’t have a clue. That has been cool to learn, it took a while to get into my brain but it will give me a bit more solidity when I am struggling, because my good game is really good but my bad game is a weakness. It was a great win today. I know if I practise hard and strike the cue ball well I have always got a a chance.”
Shaun Murphy, British Open champion and Xi’an Grand Prix finalist, notched another win with a 4-2 success against Elliot Slessor. The key moment of the tie came in the second frame when Slessor, leading 1-0 and on a break of 55, missed a short range red to a top corner. Murphy cleared with 68 then went 3-1 up with 81 and 82, and later finished the job with a 60 in frame six.
“It was a tough game, Elliot is a player I have a lot of respect for and I think it’s only matter of time before wins come his way,” said Murphy. “He had the advantage early on but I managed to get myself into the game and take my chances.
“I am chasing my own goals, I have some personal goals I am after. I am working very hard in between matches and there is plenty left in the tank. It’s a long time since I played in the one-table set up here, it has not been a happy hunting ground for me. I can’t wait to try to go further in the tournament, it’s one of my favourite venues and crowds and I hope I can do them justice.“
Un-Nooh top scored with 94 in a 4-1 defeat of Mark Davis while He Guoqiang got the better of a Chinese derby with Wu Yize, winning 4-2 with top runs of 67, 64, 77 and 120.
World number 17 Si Jiahui, the highest ranked player yet to win a ranking title, stormed to a 4-0 win over Stephen Maguire with top breaks of 69, 64 and 55. Gary Wilson top scored with 79 in a 4-2 win over Martin O’Donnell.
Home stars continued to shine at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast as Mark Allen beat Ben Woollaston 4-3 while fellow Antrim cueman Jordan Brown saw off Ashley Hugill 4-0 to reach the last 16.
Allen now faces a huge clash with Cork’s Aaron Hill on Thursday afternoon, then Brown will meet form-player Shaun Murphy at 7pm on what promises to be a sensational day of snooker at the Waterfront Hall.
Having won the BetVictor English Open last month, Allen is unbeaten in the Home Nations Series this season and has now won seven consecutive matches in deciding frames in those events. The world number eight looked in danger tonight at 2-1 down but then made breaks of 135 and 100 to lead 3-2. Woollaston recovered to 3-3 and had first chance in the decider but missed an attempted plant on a red to a top corner. Once again Allen remained calm under pressure and a break of 57 helped him to the winning line.
“I’m very grateful for the support I get here and it’s nice that we are giving them something back this week,” said Allen, who won this title in 2021 and 2022. “I don’t do things the easy way, I would love to see what it’s like to win 4-0! But I always feel comfortable in deciders and fancy my chances.”
Looking ahead to his meeting with practice partner Hill, he added: “Aaron is a great kid and is showing in matches now what I have seen in practice for a few years. His confidence is high and he is destined for great things.”
Brown beat World Champion Zhao Xintong 4-0 in the opening round and built on that with another whitewash over Hugill, capped by runs of 73 and 94. Down in 64th place in the projected end of season rankings, Brown is in danger of tour relegation at the end of this season, but his run in this event is a vital boost and he is into the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2023 International Championship.
“It’s nice to play somewhere near the way I can, especially as the crowd has been amazing this week,” he said. “To walk into the arena alongside Mark Allen was very special. Before we went out, we said to each other ‘it’s not going to be quiet tonight!’ These are memories that I won’t forget. There haven’t been many good times for me over the last couple of seasons and at times I have questioned my future. I have had to reflect on things like winning the Welsh Open and beating Neil Robertson here two years ago to give myself a lift. Hopefully I can put on a show tomorrow.”
World number two Kyren Wilson earned a 4-1 success over Ryan Day with top runs of 135 and 93. China’s Zhou Yuelong, runner-up to Allen in Brentwood last month, enjoyed a 4-2 victory over David Grace with top breaks of 64, 73 and 59. Jimmy Robertson came from 3-0 down to 3-3 only for his opponent Ali Carter to make a tremendous 135 total clearance in the deciding frame to win 4-3.
Hereafter, you will find the reports about what happened yesterday in Belfast, as shared by WST. They are comprehensive enough and I don’t have much to add really.
BetVictor Northern Ireland Open Day Three Afternoon
Ali Carter gained revenge for two defeats to Stan Moody earlier in the season, beating the teenager 4-3 to reach the last 32 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
Carter felt Moody might be “very annoyed” at the result as the up-and-coming prodigy had chances to win in the last two frames but couldn’t take them. World number 19 Carter, who had lost to Moody at both the British Open and Xi’an Grand Prix, goes through the next round and will meet Jimmy Robertson on Wednesday night.
Six-time ranking event winner Carter started the season strongly by reaching the final of the invitational Shanghai Masters and the quarter-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, though he would need a deep run in one of upcoming events to get back into the top 16 in time for the Johnstone’s Paint Masters cut-off.
Moody, age 19, went 2-0 up before Carter hit back with breaks of 137 and 100 for 2-2. A run of 72 gave Moody frame five and he had a match-winning opportunity in the sixth but overcut a red to a centre pocket when he trailed 30-40, allowing Carter to make it 3-3. In the decider, Carter made 43 before playing safe then Moody’s counter reached 42 when he was left with a tough long blue to a baulk corner with one red left. He went for it full-blooded but missed the target and that proved his last shot.
“It was experience which got me over the line,” said Carter. “I did make two centuries and also had a couple of pack splits which could have gone better, otherwise I could have won 4-2. I haven’t practised at all since I got back from China, apart from one exhibition. That’s no excuse but I have had a very important family matter which has been in the background for 18 months, thankfully it is all dealt with now. I have no expectations here, I will just turn up tomorrow night and give it a go and see what happens.
“It’s hard to say how far anyone can go but Stan has got the competitive instinct and he has the nonchalance that he belongs there playing against the top boys on the big stage. He’ll be gutted not to win that match and probably very annoyed, as I would have been at his age.”
Defending champion Kyren Wilson narrowly escaped a first round exit as he edged out Oliver Lines 4-3. Wilson, who beat Judd Trump 9-3 in the final here last year, is yet to reach the semi-finals of a ranking event so far this season and is determined to go deep this week.
He went 2-1 up today with a break of 133 but Lines then took the next two to lead 3-2. World number two Wilson made a 61 for 3-3 then led 42-0 in the decider when he missed a tricky thin cut on a red to a top corner. Lines had a chance to clear, but on 29 with one red left he failed to convert an awkward green to a baulk corner, playing with the long rest. A relieved Wilson took advantage to set up a last 32 tie with Ryan Day.
“It was a very difficult first round match, Oliver has been in good form this season,” said 2024 World Champion Wilson. “His all-round game was strong today and he made it tough for me. I’m proud of the way I dug in from 3-2 down.
“In the last frame when he had the chance to clear up, he still had work to do with the last red next to the yellow. When he missed the green I was like a greyhound out of my chair. It would have sucked to go out on the first round because this is a fantastic venue with big crowds.”
Luca Brecel, the 2023 World Champion, is down in 83rd place on this season’s rankings and he suffered a 4-1 defeat against Stephen Maguire, who compiled breaks of 75 and 63. Si Jiahui saw off Cheung Ka Wai 4-0 while 53-year-old Mark Davis top scored with 118 in a 4-1 defeat of Zhang Anda. Ryan Day saw off Matthew Selt 4-2 with a top break of 77.
Tom Ford’s season has literally suffered a sledgehammer blow, but he battled through the pain of a shoulder injury tonight to beat Chris Wakelin 4-1 and reach the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Last summer, Ford was working at a building in Loughborough where he is hoping to open a snooker club. “I was trying to knock a wall down with a sledgehammer,” he explains. “Just a normal thing for a snooker player to do! But I thought I could do it myself rather than hire workmen to do it, obviously that was the wrong thing to do. Soon afterwards I had pain in my left shoulder and it turned out I had torn the rotator cuff.
“That’s why my results have been so bad. I had physiotherapy to start with. There is an option of a cortisone injection but that has a risk of infection so I have decided not to have that for now. I am taking some tablets to reduce the inflammation but it’s still very uncomfortable when I’m playing. I have had scans and it seems to be healing nicely but it will take time. Hopefully by next month I’ll be back to normal.
“I had to pull out of the British Open because I just couldn’t get down on the shot. I feel a sharp stabbing pain and it goes up my neck as well. I have not been practising at all, so when I play the table just looks huge. I expected nothing tonight, I knew I could lose 4-0 without scoring a point. Any pot over six foot I have got no chance. So it is great to get a win on the board.”
Ford managed breaks of 75 and 78 as he got the better of Wakelin to set up a last 16 clash with China’s Yuan Sijun, who beat Long Zehuang 4-2.
Ireland’s Aaron Hill took another big scalp as he beat Barry Hawkins 4-3. After being hauled back from 3-1 to 3-3, 23-year-old Hill made a superb break of 92 in the decider. He will now meet either his close friend and practice partner Mark Allen or Ben Woollaston.
“I was nervous in the last frame because I had a chance to win 4-1, then when I missed that Barry came back,” said Hill. “I was delighted to take my chance in the decider. As you get more experience you learn how to use those nerves and to stay in the moment. Barry is one of the greats and such a tough player to beat. When I look around in an arena like that and see the players I have watched my whole life, to win a deciding frame in one visit is a dream come true for me. If I do play Mark next that would be a great occasion for both of us.”
John Higgins was another 4-3 winner, coming through a tough battle against Pang Junxu. Four-time Crucible king Higgins came from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with a top break of 126 then Pang made a 137 for 3-3. The decider was in the balance until Higgins made a vital break of 45 to earn a tie with Stephen Maguire or Si Jiahui.
World number one Judd Trump was far below his best but he beat Jackson Page 4-2 with a top break of 53 and now meets Gary Wilson or Martin O’Donnell on Thursday.
Neither Judd nor Jackson played well in that match. When Jackson first appeared on the pro scene, as Mark Williams “protégé”, much was expected from him. It didn’t really happen. I’m not criticising Jackson here, he’s not responsible for the expectations other people may have about him. He’s a good player, of course he is. He wouldn’t be on tour if he wasn’t. He can score very heavily. Last season, during the World Championship qualifiers, he became the first player to make two 147 in a match. But he has room for improvement, notably in his safety game and, also, he can be inconsistent.
Aaron Hill continued to build his reputation as one of snooker’s best up-and-coming players as he fired two centuries in a 4-1 win over Lei Peifan to reach the last 32 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
Cork’s 23-year-old Hill has had a fine start to the season, notably reaching the quarter-finals of the English Open and the last 16 of two other events. He has also made the first two 147s of his career within the past five weeks. And today’s superb display, highlighted by breaks of 84, 109, 54 and 134, kept up his hopes of another deep run and set up a clash with Barry Hawkins on Tuesday night.
“It’s great to get off to a good start in my home event,” said world number 47 Hill. “From 1-0 down it was more or less a perfect performance. It was a great crowd and a lot of my family and friends were here, they made a lot of noise, clapping nearly every shot. I’m delighted to give them something back.
“It has been a long time coming but I am getting consistent results now and I believe I can be doing this week in, week out. Experience is massive in this game and I have five years behind me. I am getting closer to where I want to be. Times are good now and snooker is in the best place now it has ever been.“
Hill is working with former pro Fergal O’Brien and cites that as a key factor behind his improvement. He said: “It’s unreal working with Fergal, he has been there and done it all. Whatever question I ask him, he always has the answer. He tells me to focus on everything in my control, and not worry about anything out of my control. That’s really important when you are out there because you have to stay in the moment.”
And asked about his brace of 147s, he added: “It was such a great buzz. I had always dreamed of making one on the tour. I have got a lot of recognition from other players, asking me ‘no 147s this week’? That’s a good feeling. Hopefully I can make another one here in Belfast.”
Shaun Murphy, arguably the form player on the tour having won the British Open and finished runner-up at the Xi’an Grand Prix, saw off David Lilley 4-0 with a top run of 115. He said: “I have played well all season, earlier in this season I had to keep the faith and I felt it would come good at some stage. I feel like when I get chances then nine times out of ten I will take them. I’m just trying to enjoy this while is lasts.”
Elliot Slessor made an 87 in the decider to beat Fan Zhengyi 4-3 while Hawkins saw off Zak Surety 4-0 with a top break of 74. BetVictor English Open runner-up Zhou Yuelong beat Dylan Emery 4-2 with a best run of 86.
Mark Allen admitted that he gets more nervous playing in the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open than he does at any other tournament, but he came through that pressure to beat Robert Milkins 4-3 with a tremendous break in the deciding frame.
The home favourite, who lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in 2021 and 2022, is into the last 32 and will face Ben Woollaston on Wednesday. With Jordan Brown and Aaron Hill also into the next round, there will be plenty for the Belfast fans to cheer about over the coming days at the Waterfront Hall.
World number eight Allen won the BetVictor English Open last month and is the front-runner for the £150,000 bonus which goes to the leading player across the four-event series. He was pushed all the way tonight by Milkins, who is in danger of tour relegation this season, but 12-time ranking event winner Allen finished strongly.
Milkins led 2-1 with breaks of 70 and 98 before Allen came from 62-11 down to steal the fourth with a vital 52 clearance. Frame five went to Milkins, then Allen responded with a break of 104 for 3-3. In the decider, Milkins had first chance but made just 14 before narrowly missing a tricky red to a centre pocket. His opponent seized the moment with a run of 113.
“It was nice to finish the match off well because I was getting a lot of support and they didn’t have much to cheer about until the end,” said Antrim’s Allen. “I can take that confidence through to the next round.
“I feel more nervous here than I do in any other event including the World Championship. I try to do breathing exercises and relax before I go out there, but as soon as you get into the arena it hits you. I was edgy at the start and made some errors, I only settled down when I made the clearance to go 2-2. It’s mad because I have won here twice so I shouldn’t be feeling as bad as I do, but it just shows what it means to me. If I went out feeling flat I would be more worried, but I don’t ever feel like that here.”
Asked about the BetVictor bonus, he added: “I’ll think about it when we get to the Welsh Open and see what I need to do. I just need to keep winning matches and if I can win this event it would create some daylight. But there’s a long way to go.”
Gary Wilson beat Chang Bingyu 4-3 in a dramatic finish just after midnight. Chang came from 3-0 down to 3-3 but twice missed match-ball final brown in the decider when he led by 17 points, first to a baulk corner and then a short range pot to a top corner. Wilson capitalised on the second miss to pot the last four balls.
“From 3-0 it all went a bit silly,” said Wilson. “I missed a few, everything went awkward, he got the run of the ball and it felt like it was going to be one of those nights. In the end he played the brown right-handed (Chang is left-handed) and maybe he should have played it with the rest. He clearly twitched it a bit. Thankfully I held myself together to pot the last few balls because they weren’t easy.”
Martin O’Donnell’s cue went missing en route from London to Belfast and he was reunited with it just minutes before his match with Jak Jones. But O’Donnell still managed to come from 3-1 down to win a marathon three-and-a-half hour battle 4-3 with a top break of 103.
Jimmy Robertson enjoyed a 4-2 success against Stuart Bingham while Thepchaiya Un-Nooh recovered a 2-0 deficit to beat Joe O’Connor 4-3 with runs of 65, 74, 64 and 66.
Some more on is the 4-3 win by Theppy over Joe O’Connor. It was a close, hard fought match. Joe won the fist two low scoring frames. Then Theppy “woke up”: breaks of 65, 74 and 64 put him in the lead by 2-3. Joe responded with a 118 break to restore parity, only for Theppy to take the decider aided by a break of 66.
Stuart Bingham, the 18th seed, was the highest ranked player who lost yesterday. Despite scoring 2 of the 3 breaks over 50 scored during their match, he was beaten 4-2 by Jimmy Robertson as mentioned above.
Local hero Jordan Brown channeled the energy of his home crowd in a sensational 4-0 victory over World Champion Zhao Xintong on the opening day of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast.
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Brown won the Welsh Open in 2021 and climbed as high as 22nd in the world, but a poor run of results in recent seasons has left him in danger of relegation from the pro tour as he lies 64th in the projected end-of-season list. In that context, today’s result is one of the best of his career and he’s into the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time in 20 months. The popular 38-year-old from Antrim will meet Ashley Hugill next at the Waterfront Hall.
Crucible king Zhao has been suffering from illness and looked out of sorts today. Brown took a scrappy opening frame then won the second on the colours, then took the next two with the highest breaks of the match, 48 and 51.
“It was fantastic out there, I absolutely loved it out and I want to thank everyone for their support. This is a special place to play,” said Brown. “I haven’t given them much to shout about recently. I beat Neil Robertson here two years ago and I had to try to bring back those memories today and produce something similar. When you play Zhao you have to go for your shots. I kept him cold, especially in the first couple of frames.
“It has been very difficult over the last couple of seasons. It’s just confidence, I am a confidence player and when that goes, everything goes. I have been working with Fergal O’Brien on the mental side and trying to get things right again. If I play like that again there’s no reason why I can’t go further. I’ll have a pint of Guinness tonight, or maybe two! You have to celebrate moments like this with family and friends.”
Mark Selby is yet to reach the final of a ranking event this season but started strongly here with a 4-1 win over Ian Burns, highlighted by a break of 129 in the second frame.
“I actually love coming here, even though my record over the years has not been good,” said Selby. “I’ve only experienced the one-table set-up once here (in 2018 when he lost 6-5 to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals) and the atmosphere was great. But just the layout of the arena, how it’s tiered, it’s definitely up there as one of the best on tour for sure.”
Amateur Hugill scored a 4-2 success against Noppon Saengkham. Chris Wakelin, runner-up here two years ago, saw off Lan Yuhao 4-1 with a top break of 85, while China’s Wu Yize edged out Scott Donaldson 4-3. Ben Woollaston enjoyed a 4-2 victory over Hossein Vafaei while Pang Junxu beat Robbie Williams 4-1.
Judd Trump remains optimistic that he will end his ten-month title drought as a 4-2 victory over Anthony McGill put him into the last 32 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, a tournament he has won four times since 2018.
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Usually a prolific winner of titles, Trump hasn’t lifted a trophy since the UK Championship last December. Though he retains his position at the top of the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, on this season’s list he is down in 34th spot and must get into the top 32 before Christmas to earn a place in the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong in February.
Handed a tricky opening tie against British Open runner-up McGill, Trump came through the test to book a meeting with Jackson Page. After losing the opening frame, Trump hit back to take three in a row with breaks of 62, 68 and 67. He had a clear chance to win 4-1 but missed the final green to a baulk corner and his opponent capitalised to take frame five on the black. McGill also led 36-1 in the sixth, but Trump saved his best until last with an excellent 82 clearance.
“As soon as I saw it was Anthony I knew I would have to be on top of my game and sometimes that helps,” said Trump. “I wasn’t at my best tonight but it was a pretty solid performance. He had chances to go 3-3 and in the end I made a good break to finish it.
“It’s just a matter of time before I have a deep run. You have to patient, there are so many great players out there. If I was getting smashed 5-0 or 5-1 in every tournament I’d be worried, but it’s just the odd decider in most of the events and hopefully that will turn around.“
Asked about his position on the one-year rankings he said: “Hong Kong is the one I definitely want to be in. If I don’t make the other two (in the Players Series) I’d only have myself to blame. If that happens then maybe it’s the break I need and it would be a different avenue into the World Championship. I’m just concentrating on trying to have some good events, keeping positive no matter what happens.”
Trump won this event thee times in a row from 2018 to 2020 and lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy again in 2023, naming Belfast’s Waterfront Hall as one of his top three venues on the circuit. He added: “The people are so friendly here and everyone is excited to play in this event. I had some unbelievable finals against Ronnie.”
John Higgins looked sharp in a 4-0 win over Louis Heathcote, firing runs of 84, 95 and 61. Page beat Steven Hallworth 4-0 with a top break of 73, while China’s He Guoqiang top scored with 99 in a 4-2 win over David Gilbert. Jack Lisowski earned a huge last-32 clash with Mark Selby by beating Haris Tahir 4-0 in just 47 minutes with a top break of 112.
WST mentions that Zhao Xintong has been suffering from illness, without being more specific. I’m not the kind of fan who believes that we “have a right to know”. We don’t, it’s a private matter, but I wonder if that illness is just some kind of viral/microbial infection that will almost certainly go away after a few days, or if is something more “long lasting” like glandular fever for instance. If it were to be the latter, it would explain a lot about Zhao’s miserable season so far.
I don’t have much to add.
Just one thing that isn’t snooker related. I wish that Scott Donaldson would get a short(er) haircut. I do understand that hair loss isn’t an easy thing to accept and to deal with, and I’m sorry for Scott who is only 31, a young age to go through that kind of thing, but IMO the longer haircut he is sporting right now doesn’t make things look better, on the contrary, it makes him look unkempt.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 