Northern Ireland Open Snooker 2026 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
Lisowski begins his title defence on Sunday (Credit: Colin Poultney/Alamy Live News)
Jack Lisowski launches his Northern Ireland Open title defence on Sunday, as part two of this season’s Home Nations Series gets under way.
Sixty-four of the world’s top players have descended on the hugely popular Waterfront Hall in Belfast, hoping to lift the Alex Higgins trophy in just over a week’s time.
Lisowski did so in emotional fashion 12 months ago, as ‘Jackpot’ finally shook off his unwanted perception as the best player never to win a ranking event.
The left-hander had fallen at the final hurdle on six previous occasions, but it was seventh time lucky in Belfast, as he just about scraped over the line a 9-8 winner over best friend Judd Trump.
Lisowski returns to the scene of his career highlight, with the first match of his title defence coming against China’s Huang Jiahao.
Meanwhile, if either Neil Robertson or Mark Selby lift the Alex Higgins trophy on October 25, they would be the first player to win all four events in the series. Their latest quests to do so begin against Ricky Walden and Louis Heathcote respectively.
Recently crowned English Open champion Ali Carter locks horns with Xu Si, as Shaun Murphy plays rising star Liam Davies, who was a quarter-finalist in Brentwood.
Xiao Guodong is the only other top-16 player in action on day one. The two-time Wuhan Open champion faces Sam Craigie, while two-time Welsh Open winner Gary Wilson does battle with Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski.
Stephen Maguire, a former Northern Ireland Trophy winner, is set for an all-Glaswegian battle with Anthony McGill, as the entertaining Thepchaiya Un-Nooh plays Cork’s Aaron Hill.
Three-time ranking finalist Joe O’Connor faces former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens, with two-time ranking event runner-up Si Jiahui taking on compatriot Wang Xinbo.
Former ranking event winners Hossein Vafaei and Matthew Selt collide, while five-time ranking semi-finalist Elliot Slessor locks horns with fellow left-hander He Guoqiang.
Play at the Waterfront Hall gets under way at 10am BST on Sunday, with all matches contested over the best of seven frames.
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Northern Ireland Open 2026 Schedule of Play
Sunday October 18
Round One
10am
Si Jiahui v Wang Xinbo
Xiao Guodong v Sam Craigie
1pm
Jack Lisowski v Huang Jiahao
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Aaron Hill
Stephen Maguire v Anthony McGill
2pm
Mark Selby v Louis Heathcote
Hossein Vafaei v Matthew Selt
Gary Wilson v Mateusz Baranowski
7pm
Joe O’Connor v Matthew Stevens
Ali Carter v Xu Si
Neil Robertson v Ricky Walden
8pm
Shaun Murphy v Liam Davies
Elliot Slessor v He Guoqiang