2025 Northern Ireland Open Snooker: Who is playing when in Belfast and what is the draw and format?
One of the most picturesque venues on the World Snooker Tour, the atmospheric Waterfront Hall in Belfast once again hosts the world ranking event where contestants will cue up for The Alex Higgins Trophy and a top prize of £100,000.
Kyren Wilson is the reigning champion having defeated record four-time winner Judd Trump 9-3 in last year's final.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Who is playing, how does the draw work?
Like all Home Nations Series events these days, the Northern Ireland Open uses a tiered draw, meaning players begin their campaigns in different rounds depending on their world ranking.
The top 32 seeds for the tournament all went straight through to the last 64 when the main venue, televised stages in Belfast start.
The remaining 96 players had to go to the qualifying rounds that were held at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester in early September. Those preliminaries yielded 32 qualifiers who will line up against the top ranked stars.
In Belfast, Wilson is set to defend the title, while world champion Zhao Xintong returns to the Waterfront for the first time in several years.
Advertisement
Advertisement
World number one Trump goes for a record-extending fifth NI Open crown, while local hero Mark Allen - who won the English Open a few weeks ago - aims for a hat-trick.
Recent Xi'an Grand Prix champion Mark Williams was in the draw but has since withdrawn. British Open champion and Xi'an runner-up Shaun Murphy will be trying to reach his third successive final on the circuit.
Mark Selby requires this particular trophy to become the first player to complete the Home Nations Series ‘Full House’ having already won the English, Scottish, and Welsh accolades.
Matches up to and including the last 16 are the best of seven frames. The quarters are best of 9, semis best of 11, and the two-session final is the best of 17.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Last 64
Kyren Wilson 4-3 Oliver Lines
Matthew Selt 2-4 Ryan Day
Wu Yize 4-3 Scott Donaldson
David Gilbert 2-4 He Guoqiang
Joe O'Connor 3-4 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhang Anda 1-4 Mark Davis
Jack Lisowski 4-0 Haris Tahir
Mark Selby 4-1 Ian Burns
Mark Williams o/w Long Zehuang
Yuan Sijun 4-1 Daniel Wells
Chris Wakelin 4-1 Lan Yuhao
Tom Ford w/o Marco Fu
Stuart Bingham 2-4 Jimmy Robertson
Ali Carter 4-3 Stan Moody
Zhou Yuelong 4-2 Dylan Emery
Neil Robertson o/w David Grace
Judd Trump 4-2 Anthony McGill
Jackson Page 4-0 Steven Hallworth
Gary Wilson 4-3 Chang Bingyu
Jak Jones 3-4 Martin O'Donnell
Stephen Maguire 4-1 Luca Brecel
Si Jiahui 4-0 Cheung Ka Wai
Pang Junxu 4-1 Robbie Williams
John Higgins 4-0 Louis Heathcote
Barry Hawkins 4-0 Zak Surety
Lei Peifan 1-4 Aaron Hill
Mark Allen 4-3 Robert Milkins
Hossein Vafaei 2-4 Ben Woollaston
Elliot Slessor 4-3 Fan Zhengyi
Shaun Murphy 4-0 David Lilley
Noppon Saengkham 2-4 Ashley Hugill
Zhao Xintong 0-4 Jordan Brown
For results from the qualifying rounds, visit snooker.org here
Last 32
K. Wilson 4-1 Day
Wu 2-4 He
Un-Nooh 4-1 Davis
Lisowski 4-2 Selby
Long 2-4 Yuan
Wakelin 1-4 Ford
J. Robertson 3-4 Carter
Zhou 4-2 Grace
Trump 4-2 Page
G. Wilson 4-2 O'Donnell
Maguire 0-4 Si
Pang 3-4 Higgins
Hawkins 3-4 Hill
Allen 4-3 Woollaston
Slessor 2-4 Murphy
Hugill 0-4 Brown
Last 16
K. Wilson 4-2 He
Un-Nooh 2-4 Lisowski
Yuan 2-4 Ford
Carter o/w Zhou
Trump 4-1 G. Wilson
Si 1-4 Higgins
Hill 1-4 Allen
Murphy 2-4 Brown
Quarter-Finals
K. Wilson 3-5 Lisowski
Ford 4-5 Zhou
Trump 5-2 Higgins
Allen 5-2 Brown
Semi-Finals
Lisowski 6-1 Zhou
Trump 6-3 Allen
Final
Lisowski 9-8 Trump
Tournament schedule:
- Sunday 19th to Tuesday 21st: Last 64
- Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd: Last 32
- Thursday 23rd: Last 16
- Friday 24th: Quarter-finals
- Saturday 25th: Semi-finals
- Sunday 26th: Final
What is the prize money and how much does the champion get?
- Champion: £100,000
- Runner-up: £45,000
- Losing semi-finalists: £21,000 (each)
- Losing quarter-finals: £13,200 (each)
- Round of 16 losers: £9,000 (each)
- Round of 32 losers: £5,400 (each)
- Round of 64 losers: £3,600 (each)
- Round of 96 losers: £1,000 (each)
- Highest break of the event: £5,000
- Total prize fund: £550,400
The Home Nations Series bonus prize is on offer again this season. A jackpot of £150,000 will go to the player who earns the most cumulative prize money across all four of this season's Home Nations Series events.
Having won the English Open, Mark Allen currently leads the order of merit.
How to watch the 2025 Northern Ireland Open
UK & Ireland: TNT Sports and discovery+. DMAX (Freeview channel showing weekday afternoon sessions and all semi-final/final sessions)
Mainland Europe: Eurosport and locally relevant streaming platforms (discovery+ in Germany, Italy and Austria and HBO Max in all other markets)
Advertisement
Advertisement
China: Huya.com, Migu, CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel, CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
Hong Kong China: Now TV
Malasyia & Brunei: Astro Supersport
Taiwan: Sportcast
Thailand: True Sport
Philippines: TAP Sports
All other territories: WST Play
