Northern Ireland Open 2018

Northern Ireland Open 2018
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Attendees:	128
Venue:	Waterfront Center, Belfast , Northern Ireland
Opening:	November 12, 2018
Endgame:	18th November 2018
Winner:	Judd Trump
Finalist:	Ronnie O'Sullivan
Highest Break:	145 ( Li Hang / Thepchaiya Un-Nooh )
← 2017   2019 →

The BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in 2018 were a world ranking tournament at the Snooker - season 2018/19 . From November 12th to 18th, 2018, they took place for the third time in the Northern Irish capital Belfast and for the second time in the Waterford Center . The Northern Ireland Open was the second tournament in the Home Nations series after the English Open .

Welshman Mark Williams came to Northern Ireland not only as defending champion, but also as reigning world champion. This time he was eliminated in round 2. Ronnie O'Sullivan made it to the final again after his victory in the Champion of Champions tournament the week before . This time he lost to Judd Trump 7: 9. For Trump it was the ninth ranked title in his career.

Prize money

The prize money for all four tournaments in the Home Nations series remained unchanged.

	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.

The winner of the English Open was Stuart Bingham , so he still had the opportunity to win the special prize of 1 million pounds, which was awarded to the winner of all four tournaments in the Home Nations series (English Open, Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open, Welsh Open) were exposed in one season. However, Bingham lost 4-2 in the first round against Peter Lines and was eliminated from the tournament.

Tournament results

This year, two experienced players, Raymond Fry and Patrick Wallace, received the two wildcards that the host association was allowed to award. The two players topped the national amateur rankings. Up to the round of 16, all games were decided on four winning frames ( Best of 7 mode ).

A = amateur player (not on the main tour during the 2018/19 season; qualification via the Q-School-Order-of-Merit)
WC = wildcard player of the Northern Irish association NIBSA
kl. = continue without a fight

First round to round of 16

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

Mark Williams

4th

106

Alfie Burden

2

1

Mark Williams

3

17th

Ali Carter

4th

80

Paul Davison

1

17th

Ali Carter

4th

17th

Ali Carter

4th

25th

Xiao Guodong

2

119

Fan Zhengyi

0

60

Akani Songsermsawad

4th

60

Akani Songsermsawad

3

25th

Xiao Guodong

4th

25th

Xiao Guodong

4th

98

Harvey Chandler

3

17th

Ali Carter

3

74

Eden Sharav

4th

16

Joe Perry

2

73

Nigel Bond

4th

73

Nigel Bond

2

92

Joe Swail

4th

A.

Luke Simmonds

1

92

Joe Swail

4th

92

Joe Swail

2

74

Eden Sharav

4th

41

Mark Joyce

0

29

Michael White

4th

29

Michael White

2

74

Eden Sharav

4th

74

Eden Sharav

4th

76

Li Yuan

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
	A.	Adam Duffy	0
	95	Sam Craigie	4th
						95	Sam Craigie	2
						36	Li Hang	4th
	68	Zhang Yong	3
	36	Li Hang	4th
											36	Li Hang	4th
											9	Neil Robertson	0
	102	Ashley Carty	0
	46	Kurt Maflin	4th
						46	Kurt Maflin	3
						9	Neil Robertson	4th
	9	Neil Robertson	4th
	40	Ben Woollaston	3
																36	Li Hang	1
																45	Peter Ebdon	4th
	32	Mark Davis	4th
	33	Noppon Saengkham	3
						32	Mark Davis	4th
						85	Luo Honghao	1
	85	Luo Honghao	4th
	39	Lü Haotian	2
											32	Mark Davis	1
											45	Peter Ebdon	4th
	45	Peter Ebdon	4th
	WC	Patrick Wallace	0
						45	Peter Ebdon	4th
						87	Lee Walker	3
	8th	Kyren Wilson	3
	87	Lee Walker	4th

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	Judd Trump	4th
	54	Matthew Selt	2
						5	Judd Trump	4th
						44	Stuart Carrington	0
	44	Stuart Carrington	4th
	67	Xu Si	1
											5	Judd Trump	4th
											20th	Jack Lisowski	0
	53	Liam Highfield	4th
	121	James Wattana	2
						53	Liam Highfield	3
						20th	Jack Lisowski	4th
	20th	Jack Lisowski	4th
	38	Hossein Vafaei	0
																5	Judd Trump	4th
																12	Luca Brecel	2
	12	Luca Brecel	4th
	WC	Raymond Fry	1
						12	Luca Brecel	4th
						71	Ian Burns	0
	71	Ian Burns	4th
	A.	Farakh Ajaib	1
											12	Luca Brecel	4th
											35	Gary Wilson	2
	65	Zhao Xintong	1
	57	Daniel Wells	4th
						57	Daniel Wells	3
						35	Gary Wilson	4th
	35	Gary Wilson	4th
	113	Adam Stefanów	3

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
	108	Jordan Brown	1
	75	Robin Hull	4th
						75	Robin Hull	4th
						90	Tian Pengfei	1
	90	Tian Pengfei	4th
	49	Mike Dunn	3
											75	Robin Hull	3
											13	Ryan Day	4th
	78	Zhang Anda	4th
	22nd	Yan Bingtao	3
						78	Zhang Anda	3
						13	Ryan Day	4th
	13	Ryan Day	4th
	48	Michael Georgiou	1
																13	Ryan Day	4th
																52	Andrew Higginson	0
	120	Jamie Clarke	1
	63	Yuan Sijun	4th
						63	Yuan Sijun	3
						52	Andrew Higginson	4th
	52	Andrew Higginson	kl.
	26th	Liang Wenbo	-
											52	Andrew Higginson	4th
											88	Billy Castle	2
	23	Graeme Dott	3
	88	Billy Castle	4th
						88	Billy Castle	4th
						56	Rory McLeod	1
	4th	John Higgins	2
	56	Rory McLeod	4th

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	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
	89	Soheil Vahedi	0
						3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
						79	Mei Xiwen	1
	79	Mei Xiwen	4th
	104	Zhang Jiankang	0
											3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
											34	Tom Ford	0
	103	Thor Chuan Leong	1
	43	Chris Wakelin	4th
						43	Chris Wakelin	3
						34	Tom Ford	4th
	34	Tom Ford	4th
	93	Rod Lawler	3
																3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
																30th	Zhou Yuelong	1
	14th	Stephen Maguire	2
	37	Michael Holt	4th
						37	Michael Holt	4th
						19th	Mark King	3
	19th	Mark King	4th
	111	John Astley	0
											37	Michael Holt	3
											30th	Zhou Yuelong	4th
	30th	Zhou Yuelong	4th
	100	Lukas Kleckers	1
						30th	Zhou Yuelong	4th
						116	Kishan Hirani	0
	116	Kishan Hirani	4th
	94	Jak Jones	3

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
	59	Alan McManus	4th
	70	Allan Taylor	0
						59	Alan McManus	1
						115	Lu Ning	4th
	91	Craig Steadman	3
	115	Lu Ning	4th
											115	Lu Ning	4th
											114	Hammad Miah	2
	114	Hammad Miah	4th
	117	Basem Eltahhan	2
						114	Hammad Miah	4th
						83	Niu Zhuang	0
	11	Mark Allen	1
	83	Niu Zhuang	4th
																115	Lu Ning	0
																21st	David Gilbert	4th
	28	Ricky Walden	3
	51	Matthew Stevens	4th
						51	Matthew Stevens	4th
						66	Gerard Greene	1
	66	Gerard Greene	4th
	99	Oliver Lines	0
											51	Matthew Stevens	2
											21st	David Gilbert	4th
	21st	David Gilbert	4th
	42	Fergal O'Brien	1
						21st	David Gilbert	4th
						82	Chen Zifan	2
	6th	Barry Hawkins	3
	82	Chen Zifan	4th

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	Shaun Murphy	2
	112	Sam Baird	4th
						112	Sam Baird	3
						84	Chris Totten	4th
	50	Dominic Dale	3
	84	Chris Totten	4th
											84	Chris Totten	1
											58	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	4th
	31	Robert Milkins	0
	58	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	4th
						58	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	4th
						86	Ross Muir	0
	97	Elliot Slessor	1
	86	Ross Muir	4th
																58	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	4th
																55	Robbie Williams	0
	10	Stuart Bingham	2
	69	Peter Lines	4th
						69	Peter Lines	2
						55	Robbie Williams	4th
	107	Simon Lichtenberg	0
	55	Robbie Williams	4th
											55	Robbie Williams	4th
											101	Sanderson Lam	1
	109	Andy Lee	1
	105	Sean O'Sullivan	4th
						105	Sean O'Sullivan	3
						101	Sanderson Lam	4th
	101	Sanderson Lam	4th
	110	Joe O'Connor	3

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.	David Lilley	4th
	77	Duane Jones	2
						A.	David Lilley	2
						47	Scott Donaldson	4th
	62	Ken Doherty	1
	47	Scott Donaldson	4th
											47	Scott Donaldson	1
											61	Martin O'Donnell	4th
	72	Jimmy White	3
	61	Martin O'Donnell	4th
						61	Martin O'Donnell	4th
						118	Chen Feilong	1
	15th	Marco Fu	2
	118	Chen Feilong	4th
																61	Martin O'Donnell	2
																2	Mark Selby	4th
	18th	Anthony McGill	0
	64	Alexander Ursenbacher	4th
						64	Alexander Ursenbacher	3
						96	Hamza Akbar	4th
	81	Ashley Hugill	2
	96	Hamza Akbar	4th
											96	Hamza Akbar	0
											2	Mark Selby	4th
	24	Jimmy Robertson	4th
	A.	James Cahill	1
						24	Jimmy Robertson	0
						2	Mark Selby	4th
	2	Mark Selby	4th
	27	Anthony Hamilton	1

Quarter-finals to finals

	Quarterfinals Best of 9 Frames					Semi-final best of 11 frames					Final Best of 17 frames
	74	Eden Sharav	5
	45	Peter Ebdon	4th
						74	Eden Sharav	3
						5	Judd Trump	6th
	5	Judd Trump	5
	13	Ryan Day	3
											5	Judd Trump	9
											3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	7th
	3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	21st	David Gilbert	2
						3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	6th
						2	Mark Selby	5
	58	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	3
	2	Mark Selby	5

final

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: Maike Kesseler Waterfront Center,  Belfast , Northern Ireland , 18th November 2018
Judd Trump	9 : 7	Ronnie O'Sullivan
Afternoon games: 76 : 64 (O'Sullivan 64), 0: 73 (69), 1: 65 (65), 112 : 12 ( 105 ), 117 : 6 ( 117 ), 41: 78 (58), 108 : 0 ( 108 ), 48: 60 (58) evening games: 24: 68 (61), 64 : 52, 73 : 33 (51), 0: 78 (78), 0: 134 ( 134 ), 92 : 0 (54) , 65 : 5, 79 : 0 (79)
117	Highest break	134
3	Century breaks	1
6th	50+ breaks	8th

Century breaks

71 century breaks were achieved by 33 different players during the tournament. The two finalists Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan together scored 19. Li Hang and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh , who both managed a break of 145 points, shared the prize for the highest tournament break.

Li Hang 145, 139, 137, 115, 112 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 145, 138, 104 Eden Sharav 142, 121 Hammad Miah 142, 119 Ryan Day 140, 126 Judd Trump 137, 120, 117, 115, 112, 108 (2 ×), 107, 105 Noppon Saengkham 136, 101 Ronnie O'Sullivan 135, 134, 132, 119, 116, 114, 112, 111, 108, 102 Zhou Yuelong 134, 121, 102 Tian Pengfei 132 Luca Brecel 132 Lu Ning 131, 118 Mark Selby 128, 127, 122 (2 ×), 101 James Wattana 127 Neil Robertson 125 David Gilbert 124, 113, 102 Niu Zhuang 122

Jimmy Robertson 120, 110 Daniel Wells 118, 109 Sam Craigie 115 Joe O'Connor 113 Robin Hull 113 Ben Woollaston 113 Zhang Yong 111 Mark King 110 Peter Ebdon 107 Sam Baird 105 Harvey Chandler 102 Tom Ford 102 Luo Honghao 102 Ian Burns 101 Andrew Higginson 101 Zhang Anda 100

swell

1. ↑ BetVictor Northern Ireland Open. In: worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association , accessed October 24, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Indicative Prize Money Rankings Schedule 2018/2019 Season. (PDF; 108 kB) In: worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association , July 18, 2018, accessed October 24, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Northern Ireland Open 2018 Draw. (PDF; 418 kB) World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association , October 22, 2018, accessed on October 24, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Home Nations Series - Northern Ireland Open 2018 - Provisional Format of Play. (PDF; 106 kB) World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association , October 22, 2018, accessed on October 24, 2018 (English). 
5. ↑ BetVictor Northern Ireland Open (2018). In: snooker.org. Retrieved November 18, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Northern Ireland Open 2018 - Centuries. In: worldsnookerdata.com. World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association , accessed November 18, 2018 .