Northern Ireland Open 2021 LIVE – Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Mark Selby all in action
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Updated 10/10/2021 at 21:23 GMT
Follow all the action from the Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Sunday has a bumper day of action with John Higgins, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Mark Williams, Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan all taking to the baize at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Live frame-by-frame commentary begins at 12:45 on Sunday.
‘Have you ever seen anything like that?’ – O’Sullivan wows with shots of the season
Thanks for your company
That concludes our coverage of today's play from Waterfront Hall. We'll be back for the afternoon session from 12.45pm tomorrow, take care out there until then.
Around the tables
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-0 Stuart Carrington
Kyren Wilson 4-0 Jamie Clarke
Gary Wilson 4-0 Jordan Brown
Barry Hawkins 0-0 Iulian Boiko
Mark Williams 0-1 Mark Joyce
Ronnie O'Sullivan is through to the last 64
That was a tough shift for Carrington, who scored just 16 points and walked into a merciless performance from O'Sullivan. The greatest front runner - player - the game has ever seen can get to the winning line over this distance very quickly if he's in the mood. O'Sullivan was tonight, and Carrington was out of there in under an hour. He's lost the final here for the last three years; can O'Sullivan get over the line this time?
O'Sullivan 4-0 Carrington
The frame is quickly sorted, the ton follows (number 1,108 of his incredible career) and it's a total break of 120 to win frame and match. Outstanding.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Carrington (56-1)
It's a half-century already for The Rocket, with all remaining reds in the open here. It's been a brutal match for Carrington, we've only been going for 49 minutes.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Carrington (24-1)
It's a chance for Carrington in the fourth, as O'Sullivan catches the blue on a safety and leaves an easy starter. It goes wrong immediately though as Carrington can't convert the green that follows, and he's left O'Sullivan plum on the next red. He's in the mood to get this done, Ronnie, going into the reds early and then pulling out a superb recovery pot after finishing low on the black. There's a pile of points on here.
O'Sullivan 3-0 Carrington
O'Sullivan clears up to the green to secure the frame, and needs just one more for victory.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Carrington (47-15)
Well now! Needing only the blue to leave Carrington only able to tie, O'Sullivan takes it to the bottom left rather than the left middle, and he's missed it! He's left a chance for Carrington, albeit a very difficult one. Black, blue, brown and one of the reds are out of commission right now, so he mops up what he can and tries to play the final red safe. Unfortunately, he sticks it right over the bottom left and he's gifted the frame to O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Carrington (31-1)
There's a path to both middle pockets for the blue and O'Sullivan is utilising it, picking off nearby reds and steadily building his lead here. He's lost position on the green though and with no easy colour, tries to drop deadweight on the black but catches a double kiss. That leaves Carrington an off-straight red to right middle...and he's missed it to leave O'Sullivan a thin red to the right middle. In it gores, and O'Sullivan's away again.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Carrington (11-1)
Carrington gets on the board, cutting in a long red at the start of the third but leaving himself hampered on the potting angle of the black. He plays safe instead, and both players are soon locked in a safety exchange and sending reds up to the baulk area. It's a tense battle, and O'Sullivan flukes a red into the green pocket to assume control. More safety follows, before Carrington misses a chance at a long red to the yellow pocket and leaves a chance for O'Sullivan. It's a tricky table, but there's a chance of a decent score that could be crucial in a frame this tight.
O'Sullivan 2-0 Carrington
A further 46 doubles O'Sullivan's lead, and we've been playing less than 20 minutes.
Carrington needs to get his hand on the table and hear the sound of a red hitting the back of a pocket, quick smart.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Carrington (64-0)
He's in the mood tonight alright. O'Sullivan adds 25 and counting to the bountiful points on offer here, and Carrington needs snookers.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Carrington (39-0)
Hope is sometimes a great strategy. O'Sullivan loses position when trying to land on pink to left middle, and has to play safe back to baulk. Carrington has a look at a long red but opts for a containing safety instead. It goes horribly wrong, getting a double kiss on the red he played to leave O'Sullivan straight on a short, simple starter.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Carrington (21-0)
Carrington goes so close at the start of the second! From off the bottom cushion he jaws a red out of the right middle, and it trickles across the table to sit on the lip of the left middle for O'Sullivan. Very quickly it turns into a frame-winning chance as O'Sullivan splits the reds superbly to reach 21, and Carrington can only sit and hope from here.
O'Sullivan 1-0 Carrington
No ton, but a 91 for O'Sullivan claims the opening frame.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Carrington (68-0)
The frame is a done deal, and with the four remaining reds in the open this might well be a ton in the opening frame.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Carrington (53-0)
An excellent recovery shot by O'Sullivan, cutting in the black thin and clanging into one red to land on another, keeps his break going and it's quickly become a half-century. This is an ominous start.
O'Sullivan 0-0 Carrington (25-0)
The players are out and straight into it. O'Sullivan plugs the opening red of the night with a shot to nothing, and then lays a snooker behind the green. Carrington escapes, but leaves a red on to the bottom right and there could be a few on here. O'Sullivan shoots out to a 25 point lead and it's an inviting table for a one hit finish.
Ronnie and Stuart
Carrington is a former semi-finalist at the Riga Masters and Gibraltar Open, the latter of which was last season. There probably isn't enough time in the changeover to go through O'Sullivan's resume; you all know who he is. That said, he hasn't won a tournament since his sixth world title victory in August 2020, losing five finals last season, and that's a run he'll be keen to nix. They've met just three times in competition but Carrington does have a victory to his name, beating Ronnie 5-3 in the German Masters in 2016.
Around the tables
Kyren Wilson 4-0 Jamie Clarke
Gary Wilson 1-0 Jordan Brown
Judd Trump is through to the round of 64
It was a match played in fits and starts, with both players struggling to locate anything like their best for a sustained period. Trump's B game is so good now that he can make relatively light work of these early rounds encounters, as manifested in his astonishing run of ranking event victories in the last three years. Pagett had his chances but failed to cash them in, and it's Trump that progresses to face Gao Yang in the next round.
Next up it's Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Stuart Carrington.
Trump 4-1 Pagett
Red-colour duly go, as do all remaining reds. A total break of 80 does the necessary, and Judd takes the match.
Trump 3-1 Pagett (55-17)
That's the half ton as a red drops into the bottom left. The blue follows, and it's red-colour for the match.
Trump 3-1 Pagett (29-17)
Trump loses position after dripping in the gimme red, but recovers it by draining a long blue into the green pocket. That is a superb shot. The re-rack suggested that he wants to be back in the hotel a bit lively, and the way he's zoomed to 29 already confirms as much.
Trump 3-1 Pagett (1-17)
Once more, with feeling. The first chance in Fifth Frame: The Reboot goes to Pagett after Trump misses a long red, but in potting the loose ball Pagett can't land on the black. Trump then drains a long red, before taking on a really difficult black near the rail but it jaws out of the bottom left. Another chance for Pagett then, can he convert one of these into a telling score? After running out of position again he recovers with a superb red to the bottom right using the spider, and he's just about on the black. Pagett drops that in, but then leaves his next red, and perhaps the match, in the jaws of the bottom left.
Re-rack
Pagett gives away four more, yet even though Trump has the edge in the safety exchange he agrees to a re-rack.
Trump 3-1 Pagett (5-1)
Pagett clips in a long red to start the fifth, but he's not on a colour. Trump gets one down too, but then misses an awkward black to the bottom left. We could have another patchy one here, with the black over the bottom left and covered by reds, and as if to prove that point Pagett promptly goes in-off. You might want to brew up.
Trump 3-1 Pagett
Trump clears up to the brown and he's one frame from victory. Here's his 7 (s-e-v-e-n) cushion positional shot from earlier.
Trump 2-1 Pagett (56-21)
From the D Trump nails a long red into the bottom right, followed by the pink, but he can't then double the second to last red. Pagett has a go at the same red to the bottom right, but misses by a huge margin and sticks it up over the yellow pocket. Trump drops it in, followed by the green and final red, and Pagett now needs a snooker. With Trump now homing in on the colours, he won't get the chance.
Trump 2-1 Pagett (45-21)
From a safety shot Pagett sends the white into the yellow, and the yellow into its own pocket. Trump misses a red from the D though, and leaves it on for Pagett who can only add four before laying snooker behind the blue. From his next visit Pagett can only add red-pink-red, on what is a very awkward table. A solitary red follows, after which Pagett tucks up behind the yellow. We've got three reds and maybe a lot of time left in this one.
Trump 2-1 Pagett (41-8)
A superb long red by Trump, jabbed from close range but travelling a long distance to the green pocket, gets him on the pink. He adds a further 22 but still can't lasso ideal position, and plays safe off the green. The table is a bit of a mess, so he's got a handy lead.
Trump 2-1 Pagett (19-8)
Pagett misses a long red at the start of the fourth, leaving Trump a mid-range cut into the bottom left. In it goes, and he's moved the black into play while landing on the blue. Trump can only make 19 before running out of position, and a later miss on an ambitious long red to the bottom right leaves Pagett a cut to the left middle. Pagett makes it, followed by the black, but he can't hold position either before missing a long red to the green pocket. Scrappy stuff.
Around the tables
In the other matches in the Waterfront Hall tonight:
Kyren Wilson 2-0 Jamie Clarke
Gary Wilson 1-0 Jordan Brown
Trump 2-1 Pagett
The break goes to 40, and Trump will have the lead shortly. He then thunders a pink into the left middle before going in and out of baulk to land on his next red. A total of 65 secures the frame.
Trump 1-1 Pagett (50-0)
Both players - temporarily, let's hope - have gone off here and then miss two reds each that they would bag under normal circumstances. Trump stops the nonsense with a red into the green pocket. He's really having to fight for position, but grinds out another 25 to take charge here and there's more on the way now he's got the black back on its spot at last.
Trump 1-1 Pagett (25-0)
Pagett shorts another safety at the start of the third, and Trump drops in a mid-to-long red to get going. A split on the reds early doesn't quite work out as planned, but he recovers position after going up for the brown. With the black and pink out of commission though he soon loses the battle for position and has to play back to baulk, his break over on 25.
Trump 1-1 Pagett
After a long safety exchange there's an opening for Trump, and he strokes a long-ish red into the bottom right, followed by the brown. He showboats the rest of the colours, including a preposterous positional shot from pink to black, to level the match up.
Trump 0-1 Pagett (72-29)
It's a quickfire 22 for Trump, who goes in-off in the left middle when trying to shift a red into play. There's only 51 remaining so she should be safe, but Pagett will give it a whirl. He adds 14 before playing a snooker on the final red.
Trump 0-1 Pagett (50-8)
Trump makes a half-century, but leaves himself a difficult cut on a red to bottom left to keep going and he's missed it. Pagett responds with eight, but misses a red high on the knuckle of the right middle and the frame is on now for Trump.
Trump 0-1 Pagett (30-0)
Trump fires back at the start of the second, dropping a long red in deadweight to the bottom left, and sending the white around the back of the black to flick a red out of the way of said black and open up the potting line. That's a great shot, and he's scoring heavily within minutes.
Trump 0-1 Pagett
This one's ragged. Trump gets one of the final two reds down but not colour; Pagett picks off the final red with a brown, but the path for the yellow to pot is blocked when the brown is respotted. After a good snooker from Pagett, Trump leaves a chance at yellow to left middle. That goes, as does green and brown, and Pagett takes a surprise lead.
Trump 0-0 Pagett (31-46)
It's another long red for Trump but he can't add to it, before Pagett fails to drop deadweight onto a red near the left rail from the ensuing snooker and he's served up a good chance here. Trump only adds six though before missing a shocker of a red to the bottom right, and it's another chance for his opponent. Pagett has added 20 and counting so far, but will need one of the two remaining awkward reds to leave Trump needing snookers. He tries to shift one and does so, but only after missing the pink with the rest. Trump can't make a wild cut on a red to the left middle though, so it's a reprieve for Pagett.
Trump 0-0 Pagett (20-20)
Trump leaves Pagett a long look at a red to the bottom left. Pagett misses it by a wide margin, but the red careers across the table, clips another red and flukes into the same pocket. He apologises, but inside Pagett will be thrilled by that. An awkward blue to the yellow pocket follows, and suddenly it's a chance. He draws level in this frame, but then missed a red below the pink horribly, not even connecting with the jaws of the bottom left, and it's end of break.
Trump 0-0 Pagett (20-0)
The boys are baized, and we're underway. A short safety shot gives the first chance of the night to Trump, and he floats in a mid-range red to the bottom right to get going. He's straight into his rhythm here, but misses a red across the table and into the bottom left to end his break on 20.
Pagett
His opponent is Andrew Pagett, ranked 95th in the world and back on the main tour after a six-year absence that was prolonged by illness last season and World Snooker deferring his tour card until 2021/22. Pagett got through a few hurdles at the recent British Open before losing to David Gilbert in the last 32.
Judd
Trump arrives in Belfast chasing his fourth Northern Ireland Open title on the spin. He also wants his position back as world number one, which he lost to Mark Selby after a shock third round exit at the British Open in August. That’s not the only arena in which he’s chasing Selby.
Since winning The Masters and the World Championship to complete his Triple Crown in devastating fashion in 2019, Trump hasn’t won any of the games’ major titles for a second time. Selby meanwhile bagged his fourth world title in eight years in May, his ninth Triple Crown in total. That surely lifted him into the pantheon of the game’s all-time greats. Trump might be hoovering up all the other ranking events with jaw-dropping regularity, but until he adds more TC’s to his CV he won’t join that conversation.
Good Evening!
What an afternoon that was. Local boy Mark Allen put the heat under the Northern Ireland Open earlier with a sensational 147 to win his match against Si Jiahui.
So, who’s for pudding? Tonight sees Judd Trump in action on Table 1 followed by Ronnie O’Sullivan. These two have contested the last three Northern Ireland Open finals, all won by Trump and all by a scored of 9-7. In Belfast this year they’re in opposite sides of the draw; they couldn’t, could they?
We’ll start to find out tonight. Trump’s in action against Andrew Pagett shortly, before we move on to see how O’Sullivan fare against Stuart Carrington.
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Watch clearance from ‘toughest yellow since Thorburn in ‘83’ as Allen shows huge ‘bottle’ in 147 bid
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Join us again from 6.45 pm
So, how do we come down from all that excitement? With Judd Trump followed by Ronnie O'Sullivan of course. They'll take on Andrew Pagett and Stuart Carrington respectively, in back-to-back matches this evening. We'll see you then.
Mark Allen is through after a sensational maximum break
My word, what a finish! Allen pumps his fist in triumph as the black bullets into the bottom left, and what a stunning clearance that was. Within it were two sensational long pots, one on a black and the yellow for a not exactly straightforward set of colours. Wow! That was hard graft, but Allen held himself together superbly even as his understandable adrenaline pushed him out of position. What a break, and what a place and time for him to do it. That was career highlight stuff from The Pistol.
Allen 4-1 Si
Allen leaves a thin cut on the final red, but uses the pink as a stopper ball to hold for the black. From there he overshoots position on the yellow, but glides it deadweight into the bottom left to land on the green! The green goes, all around the angles, followed by a tough brown. It looks routine now, and he moves calmly on to the black for a maximum in his home tournament....and he's done it! Mark Allen, the Pistol, has rattled in a 147 in Belfast!
Allen 3-1 Si (113-0)
This is on if Allen can move two reds below the pink into position. The century is banked and he's up to 104 after 13 reds and blacks. One of the reds below the pink actually goes to the left middle, and he's on it...and it's in, freeing a path for the other. What a chance!
Allen 3-1 Si (73-0)
Allen runs out of position after the ninth red, leaving a jab at a black to the green pocket. The frame isn't even over yet. It's match ball...and he's nailed it to land on his next red! The match is over, can we get the big one here?
Allen 3-1 Si (56-0)
It's six reds and six blacks so far for Allen, you are officially allowed to get excited. All reds are south of the blue, and either on or in positions to be developed. Have at it, Pistol!
Allen 3-1 Si (33-0)
Allen has Si in bother again. After giving away four points from another misjudged deadweight escape, Si connects at the second attempt but leaves a red on for Allen to the bottom left. In it goes with position on the black a given, and this is a big chance to win the match. There's 25 in this break already and plenty more on the way you'd fancy.
Allen 3-1 Si (4-0)
Si misses a long red to the bottom left at the start of the fifth, but doesn't leave a pot on. He's soon in a snooker instead, tight in behind the yellow, and gives up four before just about escaping and resting the white in the pack. Si is only 19 years old, and has plenty of time to master matchplay snooker. Right here and now though, Allen is serving up a lesson in it.
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Double fluke helps Higgins wrestle control of O’Connor match
Allen 3-1 Si
A round half-ton gives Allen the fourth frame.
Elsewhere, Lisowski has won his decider against Hugill after losing a 3-0 lead.
Allen 2-1 Si (63-9)
Another black takes Allen to 45 with only two reds left out there, and we're done in this one. Si had a golden chance for 2-2 there, and will have to regroup quickly if he's to prolong the argument here.
Allen 2-1 Si (48-9)
This could be a big miss from Si. A poor safety by Allen leaves a simple red from distance over the bottom right, but Si rattles it in and out of the jaws and he's left an absolute load on. Allen's not hanging about, and is up to 30 and counting in no time.
Allen 2-1 Si (18-9)
It's Allen who is dominating the safety exchanges here, forcing a foul from Si as he misses a one cushion attempt to rest on the pack. Allen then gets the first red down, but no more, before cobbling 12 together but losing position on the black. Si then gives Allen another opening, from which Allen makes only one before leaving the black in the jaws of the bottom left. Si can only make nine in return though, in a scrappy opening to the fourth frame.
Around the tables
John Higgins 4-2 Joe O'Connor
Jack Lisowski 3-3 Ashley Hugill
Allen 2-1 Si
Allen tidies up the blue, and Si concedes the frame.
Allen 1-1 Si (66-40)
Si leaves the second to last red on to the right middle, and Allen plugs it before laying a snooker on the yellow. The final red is in a horrible position, close the pink with both balls over the bottom left corner. Si needs two goes to hit it, and is soon in more bother; he escapes from another Allen snooker, but this time leaves the red on to the right middle. Allen needs the baulk colours to leave Si needing snookers and he gets them. The blue doesn't go, so Si will play on with 18 left out there.
Allen 1-1 Si (46-40)
Allen makes it to 45 but can't nudge out the third to last red and away from the pink, so it's end of break. Si later misses a wafer thin red to the left middle off the lower knuckle, and we're bogged down in safety for the foreseeable. With three reds left out there, this could be another one that goes to the wire. Allen cross-doubles a red but no more, and on we go.
Allen 1-1 Si (29-40)
It's a battle for position early on for Allen, who is forced into cutting in a thin blue and then an even thinner red, but he's got the white under control now. There's a lot to do to win it at this visit however, as two of the remaining reds are out of the left rail and blocking each other.
Allen 1-1 Si (0-40)
Si is a bit loose here, and catches the blue off his break-off shot but doesn't leave anything. He gets the first chance of the frame though, and takes it, firing a bullet straight red into the bottom left to hold for the black. It's four reds with blacks to start, and off the fourth black he comes off the bottom cushion with the white to split the reds superbly. He's got a great chance to sort this in one visit, and he's staying on the black here. Thinking maxi might have cost him though; he rattles a red out of the jaws of the right middle in trying to force position on the black, and Allen's in.
Allen 1-1 Si
A total break of 76 from Allen draws the game level.
Allen 0-1 Si (71-0)
A black takes the break to 60 and with five reds remaining Si now needs snookers.
Allen 0-1 Si (41-0)
Si makes a complete hash of a safety, catching other reds while trying to guide the white back to baulk, and he's gifted Allen an easy starter. The black goes to both corners and there are plenty of reds in the open. It's a big chance and Allen is taking it, with 30 and counting in this break already.
Allen 0-1 Si (11-0)
Si misses a long red by a wide margin at the start of the second. He then goes close to cutting a red into the bottom right, and catches the top knuckle of the left middle on his way back up the table. Allen makes six before losing position, but then adds another red as a shot to nothing before tucking Si in right behind the green. Si gives up four in his escape, and Allen is in control in this one.
Allen 0-1 Si
...and he's got them! That's a superb dish of the colours under pressure. Si, who has previously beaten Stuart Bingham at the English Open, had his best ever run at a ranking event when reaching the third round here two years ago. Allen could be in for quite a test in the next few hours.
Allen 0-0 Si (64-54)
Allen lands a full ball snooker in behind the green and Si gives up 10 points after two misses, before escaping and leaving it safe at the third attempt. Si then cuts the yellow back into the bottom left, before pulling out another superb cut on the green to just about land on the brown. He needs all four remaining balls for the frame...
Allen 0-0 Si (54-49)
Si leaves Allen a look at a long red to the green pocket after another sloppy safety. Allen middles it and mops up the remaining reds, but lands on the wrong side of the blue and overshoots position on the yellow after playing off three cushions. He'll be furious at that because he should be home and hosed. A safety follows, and this is anyone's with the colours to go.
Allen 0-0 Si (33-49)
Implausibly, Si loses position on his next red at 44 from a position where it looked impossible to do so. He's forced to play safe, but does it very badly; he's left Allen a long one to the bottom left, and in it goes. On his very next shot though, a wild miss on the black cedes the advantage! Si gets in next with a red into the bottom right, followed by the brown, and we're now into a safety exchange on the final three reds. This is some start.
Allen 0-0 Si (32-36)
Oof, what a miss! Just as I was starting to entertain thoughts of a maxi, a red to the bottom left from Allen straightens up horribly and misses by a mile, leaving everything on for Si. Have these two got something else on at 5pm? They're both flying around the table here, as Si piles on 36 and counting in return.
Allen 0-0 Si (24-0)
The players are swiftly baized, and we're away. So, too, with his first shot, is Allen. He floats in a long red to land on the black, from where he immediately goes into the pack to develop this opportunity. Intent, I think they call that. Three reds and blacks so far, and he's not hanging about.
Up next...
We go again as they say. Up next is Mark Allen - local boy, five time ranking event winner and current Champion of Champions, er, champion - and Si Jiahui. Stay wired in.
Around the tables
John Higgins 2-2 Joe O'Connor
Jack Lisowski 3-1 Ashley Hugill
Mark Selby qualifies for the round of 64
Mark Lloyd did well to get a frame on the board there before he was brushed aside by the world champion. Selby's play was bitty in the opening frames, but back-to-back tons quickly settled the argument to give him a comfortable victory. He will go on to face Cao Yupeng.
Selby 4-1 Lloyd
Light work for The Jester, as he dishes up a 112 to secure frame and match.
Selby 3-1 Lloyd (64-5)
The more reds that disappear, the easier it becomes. This is rhythmic stuff now from Selby, as he cruises to a half-century and brings up 60 with the fifth to last red. He barely has to move the cue ball more than a foot now. The green and another red follow, and Lloyd needs snookers; he won't get the opportunity.
Selby 3-1 Lloyd (32-5)
This break looks a bit easier than it is; the reds are spread far and wide, and all in good positions, but it needs delicate position around the blue and the baulk line to pick them off. Selby reaches 32, and he's zoning in on victory.
Selby 3-1 Lloyd (6-5)
The fifth frame is a slow burner, bogged down in safety play so far. Reds are progressively being sent to the north of the table, before Lloyd flukes a three ball plant into the right middle and tucks Selby right in behind the black. Selby gives away four after missing with his first attempt at an escape, but lands it at the second time of asking and doesn't leave anything easy. More safety ensues, before the table is so open that Selby is forced to gamble on a deadweight red into the right middle. It goes, and he's got an inviting chance now.
Around the tables
John Higgins 2-1 Joe O'Connor
Jack Lisowski 3-0 Ashley Hugill
Selby 3-1 Lloyd
Ton klaxon! Selby picks off the difficult final red, along the rail and into the yellow pocket, before dishing up to the yellow for a 101 and the frame.
Selby 2-1 Lloyd (68-1)
Stick a fork in this one; the break goes to 68 and the frame beyond the reach of Lloyd. Selby will need one more frame for victory.
Selby 2-1 Lloyd (53-1)
A lovely shot on the black to pot it and then open the bunch with delayed action backspin takes Selby to 32 and puts the frame at his mercy. The half-century is up in no time, and he could well double that over in the next few minutes.
Selby 2-1 Lloyd (24-1)
Lloyd drains a shot to nothing to start the fourth, before tucking Selby in behind the yellow. A safety exchange follows and Lloyd cracks first, catching the jaws of the bottom right with the white and leaving Selby a simple starter to the bottom left. It's three reds and blacks to start, with a few reds still in the open to build a handy lead here.
Selby 2-1 Lloyd
It's bitty stiff from the world champion, but he's back in front now as an additional 44 goes in the books.
Selby 1-1 Lloyd (57-0)
Selby gets a solitary red down at his next visit, but soon gets a more definitive chance when Lloyd leaves a red over the bottom left. The break is quickly to 13 and counting, and with only 51 left on the table this one will soon be over.
Selby 1-1 Lloyd (43-0)
Like the turning on of a tap Selby effortlessly racks up 39, but in drilling in a red from the top of the pack to the bottom left thereafter he loses control of the white and he's not on the black. It's end of break, and he sends the white back to baulk.
Selby 1-1 Lloyd (10-0)
Selby's in first in this one, tagging in a long red to the bottom left before catching a handy full ball kiss on the yellow. He makes just three, and a safety exchange follows. Both Selby and Lloyd miss from long range, before Selby drains a red into the bottom left from distance and flukes position on the blue. This is a good chance.
Selby 1-1 Lloyd
Selby tries to dislodge the black from a safety, but fails to make contact and Lloyd is on a red to left middle. A swift break of 11 brings the match level.
Selby 1-0 Lloyd (15-65)
A black takes Lloyd to a half-century, and he looks right in rhythm now. Two more reds will sort the frame, but he finishes awkwardly on the first one and although he pots it, overruns position on the green and his break ends at 60. Selby plays a poor safety in return though, leaving a red over the bottom right. Lloyd converts it, but again his positional play is poor and he opts to put the black safe. His lead is 50 points, with 51 left on the table.
Selby 1-0 Lloyd (15-40)
After a lot of tap and nudge safety Lloyd jabs a red into the bottom left and lands on the green. If he can compose himself here, he's got a chance. Selby's meagre lead is soon wiped out, and Lloyd advances to 36 with plenty of reds in the open here. A smartly judge canon into the remaining cluster or reds has just made him favourite for this frame.
Selby 1-0 Lloyd (15-4)
Lloyd, an amateur who isn't on the tour, is in the biggest game of his career today. He looks a little overawed at facing the world number one today, and it's showing; after Selby's break, an attempted one cushion escape to rest on the pack goes wrong and the white careers into the black. Selby adds eight before missing a difficult long red into the green pocket. There's a chance for Lloyd now though, as Selby misses a long red into the bottom left and Lloyd calmly counters with a red to right middle to land on the green. He soon looses position though, and is forced to play a gentle safety into the pack.
Elsewhere...
There are other qualifiers taking place in the arena today, with the scores as follows:
John Higgins 0-1 Joe O'Conner
Jack Lisowski 1-0 Ashley Hugill
Selby 1-0 Lloyd
Selby clears up to the pink to take the first frame.
Selby 0-0 Lloyd (50-7)
This is a nice shot from Lloyd, as he thin snicks a plant into the bottom left from distance for his first pot of the day. He played it as a shot to nothing though, and after a safety exchange between the two Selby picks off a long red into the bottom right. More safety follows, but it's an uncharacteristic error from Selby as he leaves Lloyd a long but easy starter into the bottom right. It's in, and with two reds left a full clearance from Lloyd can win this; he then misses a simple pink however, and he's left the frame on.
Selby 0-0 Lloyd (49-5)
Lloyd hasn't settled yet, and leaves Selby another look at a long red to the bottom left. In it goes, followed by the pink, and Selby has a good chance to mop this up here. On 15 though his attempted split on the pack goes awry, as he fails to land on a colour. Selby opts to play back to baulk and put the blue safe.
Selby 0-0 Lloyd (34-5)
It's 30 for Selby as he finishes high on the blue, pots it in the left middle and sends the white delicately into the pack. It's misjudged though, as a red creeps out of the pack and drops gently into the bottom left to concede five and nix the break. Lloyd's not on anything, but he's still in the frame. A poor safety then leaves Selby a straight red to right middle, but he can only make four before losing position.
Selby 0-0 Lloyd (22-0)
Lloyd breaks, but it's a sloppy one and he's left a cut to the bottom left for Selby. In it goes, and Selby's on the blue. He's smoothly into his stride, cobbling 22 and counting together, and has a couple of reds to play for before he needs to disturb the pack.
Here we go
The boys are baized, here we go. It's best of seven for a place in the first round.
Completism
Out of all of the titles in the Home Nations Series, the Northern Ireland Open is the one Selby has yet to get his mits on. He picked up the Welsh in 2008, the English in 2019 and won the Scottish back to back in 2019 and 2020.
Ask status: Big
It’s a mountain today for his opponent Mark Lloyd, a 21-year old form Gosport and a former English Under-21 champion. Best of sevens are fraught with jeopardy though; a quick start can prove unassailable, a slow one irrecoverable.
Selbz
After winning that memorable final against Shaun Murphy back in May, Selby picked up his fourth world title, all secured in the last eight years. To put that in some kind of perspective, the great John Higgins has won four in his entire career. He now has the same amount of Triple Crown titles as Higgins too, as well as Mark Williams; the only players ahead of him in this regard – are Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis. We should have been anyway, but we are definitely now talking about one of the all-time greats here.
Good afternoon!
Welcome to live coverage of the Northern Ireland Open from the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
We’ll be tracking Mark Selby’s match with Mark Lloyd shortly. For your evening session we’ll have Judd Trump against Andrew Pagett, followed by Ronnie O’Sullivan versus Stuart Carrington. First though, it’s the reigning champion of the wooooorld….
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Judd Trump has beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last three finals and both are set to begin their quests for the Alex Higgins trophy on Sunday.
Trump, O’Sullivan, the rest of the top 16 and three Northern Irish players - Christopher Clifford, Robbie McGuigan and Jordan Brown - have had their first-round matches held over and will contest those from October 09-11. The rest of the first-round matches were completed before the official start of the tournament. That has thrown up a bumper day of snooker on Sunday.
Defending champion Judd Trump begins his Northern Ireland Open campaign against Andrew Pagett at 19:00 with O'Sullivan playing Stuart Carrington after him. Mark Williams is also in action in the evening session, facing Mark Joyce. Earlier in the day - starting at 13:00 - John Higgins takes on Joe O'Connor, Mark Selby faces Mark Lloyd, Mark Allen takes to the baize against Si Jiahui and Neil Robertson comes up against Barry Pinches. Coverage of these matches start at 12:45 on Eurosport 1 on Sunday.
The earlier matches on Sunday, Stephen Maguire v Steven Hallworth, Stuart Bingham v Ben Hancorn and Yan Bingtao v Hossein Vafaei are available to watch here on the Eurosport App.
Second-round matches begin on Monday 11, with Luca Brecel and Ali Carter the pick of the bunch.
ORDER OF PLAY SUNDAY 10 OCTOBER
10:00
- Stephen Maguire [8] v Steven Hallworth [68]
- Stuart Bingham [12] v Ben Hancorn [82]
- Yan Bingtao [14] v Hossein Vafaei [41]
13:00
- Jack Lisowski [13] v Ashley Hugill [77]
- John Higgins [7] v Joe O'Connor [61]
- Mark Selby [2] v Mark Lloyd (a)
Estimated 15:00
- Mark Allen [9] v Si Jiahui (a)
- Robbie McGuigan (a) v Sam Craigie [49]
- Neil Robertson [4] v Barry Pinches [97]
19:00
- Judd Trump [1] v Andrew Pagett [105]
- Kyren Wilson [6] v Jamie Clarke [65]
- Gary Wilson [31] v Jordan Brown [36]
Estimated 20:00
- Ronnie O'Sullivan [3] v Stuart Carrington [46]
- Barry Hawkins [11] v Iulian Boiko [92]
- Mark J Williams [10] v Mark Joyce [60]
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You can watch the Northern Ireland Open live and ad-free on the Eurosport app and Eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.
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