Northern Ireland Open 2016

Northern Ireland Open 2016
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Titanic Exhibition Center, Belfast , Northern Ireland
Opening:	November 14, 2016
Endgame:	20th November 2016
Winner:	Mark King
Highest Break:	147 ( John Higgins )
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The Coral Northern Ireland Open 2016 was a world ranking tournament as part of the Snooker Main Tour 2016/17 and was held from November 14th to 20th, 2016 at the Titanic Exhibition Center in Belfast , Northern Ireland . The tournament was held for the first time and was the second part of the Home Nations Series with four tournaments in the four parts of the United Kingdom .

The top players in the world rankings , Mark Selby , Neil Robertson and Stuart Bingham did not take part in the tournament, but otherwise most of the top players were represented in Belfast.

In the fifth frame of the second round, John Higgins managed the 123rd official maximum break . It was the second in the Home Nations Series and the eighth in the Scot's career.

The winner was the Englishman Mark King , who won a full ranking tournament for the first time. He defeated Barry Hawkins 9-8 in the final.

Prize money

The prize money was the same for all four tournaments of the Home Nations series and was in the middle of all Main Tour tournaments. A special prize of £ 1 million will be paid out to the winner of all four tournaments within a season. Nobody could win this season because the English Open winner Liang Wenbo was eliminated in the second round.

	Prize money
winner	£ 70,000
finalist	£ 30,000
Semi-finalist	£ 20,000
Quarter finalist	£ 10,000
Round of 16	£ 6,000
Last 32	£ 3,500
Last 64	£ 2,500
Highest break	£ 2,000
All in all	£ 366,000

The Rolling 147 Prize for a Maximum Break was £ 10,000.

Tournament results

First round to round of 16

The tournament was held in the same format as the Welsh Open in previous years : 128 players competed in the first round without prior qualification. All Main Tour professionals were eligible to take part, remaining vacancies were filled by two wildcard players from the Northern Irish Association (the finalists of the Northern Ireland Championship 2015 Patrick Wallace and Jordan Brown) as well as other amateurs who had qualified via a Q-School ranking list . Up to the round of 16, four winning frames ( Best of 7 mode ) were played.

Upper half 1

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	1	Judd Trump	-
	29	Peter Ebdon	kl.
						29	Peter Ebdon	4th
						102	Adam Duffy	3
	95	Michael Wild	2
	102	Adam Duffy	4th
											29	Peter Ebdon	2
											76	Scott Donaldson	4th
	112	Kurt Dunham	4th
	111	Christopher Keogan	2
						112	Kurt Dunham	3
						76	Scott Donaldson	4th
	27	Robert Milkins	1
	76	Scott Donaldson	4th
																76	Scott Donaldson	2
																75	Hossein Vafaei	4th
	16	Stephen Maguire	3
	24	Alan McManus	4th
						24	Alan McManus	0
						86	Sanderson Lam	4th
	91	Wang Yuchen	1
	86	Sanderson Lam	4th
											86	Sanderson Lam	1
											75	Hossein Vafaei	4th
	A.	Zak Surety	4th
	84	Darryl Hill	3
						A.	Zak Surety	2
						75	Hossein Vafaei	4th
	75	Hossein Vafaei	4th
	51	Rod Lawler	3

Upper half 2

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	73	Zhang Yong	2
	38	Kurt Maflin	4th
						38	Kurt Maflin	4th
						117	Alex Borg	1
	117	Alex Borg	4th
	44	Dechawat Poomjaeng	2
											38	Kurt Maflin	4th
											109	Josh Boileau	1
	36	Mike Dunn	3
	109	Josh Boileau	4th
						109	Josh Boileau	4th
						92	Hamza Akbar	2
	9	Allister Carter	-
	92	Hamza Akbar	kl.
																38	Kurt Maflin	2
																31	Mark King	4th
	47	Fergal O'Brien	4th
	43	Tian Pengfei	2
						47	Fergal O'Brien	4th
						108	Mitchell Mann	0
	88	Thor Chuan Leong	1
	108	Mitchell Mann	4th
											47	Fergal O'Brien	0
											31	Mark King	4th
	31	Mark King	4th
	116	Igor Figueiredo	1
						31	Mark King	4th
						8th	Liang Wenbo	2
	8th	Liang Wenbo	4th
	63	Nigel Bond	1

Upper half 3

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	5	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
	110	David John	1
						5	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
						100	Jimmy White	1
	103	Gareth Allen	2
	100	Jimmy White	4th
											5	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
											77	Zhang Anda	0
	77	Zhang Anda	4th
	96	Ian Preece	0
						77	Zhang Anda	4th
						61	Chris Wakelin	3
	61	Chris Wakelin	4th
	A.	James Wattana	1
																5	Ronnie O'Sullivan	3
																12	Kyren Wilson	4th
	12	Kyren Wilson	4th
	90	Hammad Miah	2
						12	Kyren Wilson	4th
						WC	Jordan Brown	2
	WC	Jordan Brown	4th
	22nd	Ben Woollaston	2
											12	Kyren Wilson	4th
											72	Akani Songsermsawad	2
	104	Cao Yupeng	1
	72	Akani Songsermsawad	4th
						72	Akani Songsermsawad	4th
						25th	Mark Davis	3
	25th	Mark Davis	4th
	107	Jason Weston	0

Upper half 4

First round best of 7 frames

Second round best of 7 frames

Third round best of 7 frames

Round of 16 best of 7 frames

21st

Matthew Selt

2

114

Jamie Curtis-Barrett

4th

114

Jamie Curtis-Barrett

1

17th

David Gilbert

4th

78

Zhao Xintong

1

17th

David Gilbert

4th

17th

David Gilbert

2

13

Mark Williams

4th

105

Craig Steadman

4th

60

Alfie Burden

1

105

Craig Steadman

0

13

Mark Williams

4th

13

Mark Williams

4th

42

David Grace

2

13

Mark Williams

4th

4th

John Higgins

1

39

Zhou Yuelong

4th

37

Matthew Stevens

3

39

Zhou Yuelong

4th

82

Allan Taylor

0

82

Allan Taylor

4th

53

Li Hang

2

39

Zhou Yuelong

0

4th

John Higgins

4th

89

Sam Craigie

4th

33

Jamie Jones

0

89

Sam Craigie

1

4th

John Higgins

4th

4th

John Higgins

4th

85

Paul Davison

0

Lower half 1

First round best of 7 frames

Second round best of 7 frames

Third round best of 7 frames

Round of 16 best of 7 frames

3

Shaun Murphy

0

26th

Luca Brecel

4th

26th

Luca Brecel

4th

66

Jamie Cope

2

A.

Adam Stefanow

2

66

Jamie Cope

4th

26th

Luca Brecel

1

20th

Michael White

4th

23

Graeme Dott

0

20th

Michael White

4th

20th

Michael White

4th

113

Chen Zhe

3

113

Chen Zhe

4th

65

Ross Muir

1

20th

Michael White

4th

34

Dominic Dale

3

14th

Ricky Walden

4th

74

Sean O'Sullivan

2

14th

Ricky Walden

4th

101

Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn

3

101

Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn

4th

48

Rory McLeod

2

14th

Ricky Walden

2

34

Dominic Dale

4th

30th

Tom Ford

4th

59

Ian Burns

2

30th

Tom Ford

0

34

Dominic Dale

4th

34

Dominic Dale

4th

56

Joe Swail

2

Lower half 2

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	79	Mei Xiwen	1
	81	Duane Jones	4th
						81	Duane Jones	0
						99	Fraser Patrick	4th
	99	Fraser Patrick	4th
	A.	Marc Davis	1
											99	Fraser Patrick	0
											11	Barry Hawkins	4th
	50	Stuart Carrington	3
	18th	Michael Holt	4th
						18th	Michael Holt	1
						11	Barry Hawkins	4th
	11	Barry Hawkins	4th
	64	Martin O'Donnell	0
																11	Barry Hawkins	4th
																41	Jack Lisowski	0
	41	Jack Lisowski	4th
	A.	David Lilley	3
						41	Jack Lisowski	4th
						69	John Astley	1
	69	John Astley	4th
	52	Xiao Guodong	3
											41	Jack Lisowski	4th
											6th	Joe Perry	3
	97	Elliot Slessor	2
	32	Jimmy Robertson	4th
						32	Jimmy Robertson	3
						6th	Joe Perry	4th
	6th	Joe Perry	4th
	115	Itaro Santos	0

Lower half 3

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	7th	Mark Allen	4th
	40	Mark Joyce	1
						7th	Mark Allen	4th
						98	Michael Georgiou	2
	98	Michael Georgiou	4th
	WC	Patrick Wallace	2
											7th	Mark Allen	4th
											55	Robin Hull	1
	55	Robin Hull	4th
	83	James Cahill	2
						55	Robin Hull	4th
						80	Lee Walker	2
	80	Lee Walker	4th
	68	Rhys Clark	2
																7th	Mark Allen	4th
																35	Gary Wilson	3
	10	Marco Fu	4th
	19th	Ryan Day	3
						10	Marco Fu	3
						46	Sam Baird	4th
	67	Noppon Saengkham	3
	46	Sam Baird	4th
											46	Sam Baird	3
											35	Gary Wilson	4th
	45	Andrew Higginson	4th
	62	Daniel Wells	1
						45	Andrew Higginson	3
						35	Gary Wilson	4th
	35	Gary Wilson	4th
	A.	Peter Lines	0

Lower half 4

	First round best of 7 frames					Second round best of 7 frames					Third round best of 7 frames					Round of 16 best of 7 frames
	A.	Ashley Hugill	0
	54	Ken Doherty	4th
						54	Ken Doherty	3
						70	Anthony Hamilton	4th
	70	Anthony Hamilton	4th
	118	Boonyarit Keattikun	2
											70	Anthony Hamilton	4th
											15th	Anthony McGill	2
	93	Aditya Mehta	4th
	94	Sydney Wilson	2
						93	Aditya Mehta	3
						15th	Anthony McGill	4th
	15th	Anthony McGill	4th
	106	Fang Xiongman	2
																70	Anthony Hamilton	4th
																71	Yan Bingtao	3
	87	Eden Sharav	4th
	57	Oliver Lines	1
						87	Eden Sharav	0
						71	Yan Bingtao	4th
	A.	Steven Hallworth	1
	71	Yan Bingtao	4th
											71	Yan Bingtao	4th
											49	Robbie Williams	3
	49	Robbie Williams	4th
	28	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	2
						49	Robbie Williams	4th
						58	Yu Delu	1
	2	Ding Junhui	2
	58	Yu Delu	4th

WC = wildcard player of the Northern Irish association NIBSA
A = amateur player (not on the Main Tour during the 2016/17 season; qualification via the Q-School-Order-of-Merit)
kl. = continue without a fight

Quarter-finals to finals

	Quarterfinals Best of 9 Frames					Semi-final best of 11 frames					Final Best of 17 frames
	75	Hossein Vafaei	3
	31	Mark King	5
						31	Mark King	6th
						12	Kyren Wilson	2
	12	Kyren Wilson	5
	13	Mark Williams	4th
											31	Mark King	9
											11	Barry Hawkins	8th
	20th	Michael White	2
	11	Barry Hawkins	5
						11	Barry Hawkins	6th
						70	Anthony Hamilton	5
	7th	Mark Allen	2
	70	Anthony Hamilton	5

final

In his third ranking tournament final in three decades, Mark King got off to a worse start. It wasn't until the third frame that he hit the balls and scored his first century break in the tournament. Barry Hawkins was able to pull away to 5: 1, but at halftime King came back to 3: 5. In the evening session he attacked and got all four frames until the mid-session break. After Hawkins equalized to 7: 7, he won the 15th frame and was only one point before the victory. A hard-fought and exciting frame followed, in which Mark King needed 20 points to equalize, but only pink and black were left on the table. Black was also in the right pocket of the headband, so that - behind her - no snooker was possible. He tried several times to play Pink so close to Black that Hawkins would be forced to commit a foul. In fact, he finally alluded to Black first - when the opening act had become necessary . King equalized - by subsequently sinking pink and black - on points, but then failed to punch holes in the respotted black and lost this frame. He was finally able to win the decider in several attempts and thus win his first world ranking tournament after 25 years as a professional.

Winner Mark King

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: Terry Camilleri Titanic Exhibition Center,  Belfast , Northern Ireland , 20th November 2016 Mark King 9 : 8 Barry Hawkins Afternoon games: 1: 85 (85), 6: 118 (113), 126 : 11 (110), 49: 80 , 1: 60 , 14: 64 , 66 : 18, 90 : 1 evening games: 95 : 5 (62) , 101 : 13 (100), 83 : 1, 76 : 6 (54), 0: 73 (73), 40: 82 (76), 65 : 28, 65: 72 , 84 : 33 110 Highest break 113 2 Century breaks 1 4th 50+ breaks 4th

Finalist Barry Hawkins

Century Breaks

John Higgins 147 , 137, 130, 107 Fergal O'Brien 142 Ronnie O'Sullivan 141, 133, 131, 126, 117, 108 Mark Williams 139 Anthony Hamilton 138, 134, 124 Michael White 137, 130, 117, 104 Dominic Dale 133 Chen Zhe 131 Yan Bingtao 130, 121 Barry Hawkins 126, 117, 113 Kurt Dunham 126 Rhys Clark 125, 108 Alfie Burden 125 James Cahill 125 David Gilbert 121 Peter Ebdon 120 Kurt Maflin 119, 112, 101 Hossein Vafaei 119 Marco Fu 118 Alan McManus 118

Luca Brecel 117 Ricky Walden 116, 109 Kyren Wilson 113, 109, 100 Michael Georgiou 112 Mark King 110, 100 Tom Ford 110 Anthony McGill 110 Mark Allen 109 Sam Baird 106 Scott Donaldson 106 Sam Craigie 104 Yu Delu 104 Jamie Curtis-Barrett 103 Jordan Brown 102 Ken Doherty 102 Stephen Maguire 102 Liang Wenbo 102 Robbie Williams 101 Jack Lisowski 100 Eden Sharav 100

Web links

• snooker.org

swell

1. ↑ worldsnooker.com: Indicative Prize Money Rankings Schedule 2016/17 Season. (DOC; 69 kB) World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA), June 3, 2016, accessed on November 3, 2016 .  
2. ↑ bbc.com: Northern Ireland Open snooker: Allen to play Joyce in first round. BBC , November 2, 2016, accessed November 3, 2016 .  
3. ↑ Results: Northern Ireland Open. (No longer available online.) WPBSA, archived from the original on November 21, 2016 ; Retrieved November 3, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.   
4. ↑ Schedule and results: Coral Northern Ireland Open (2016). Snooker.org, accessed November 3, 2016 .