Northern Ireland Open snooker 2024 - Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson win, John Higgins, Mark Allen and Jimmy White lose
ByTNT Sports
Updated 24/10/2024 at 12:59 GMT+1
There were many snooker thrills and spills at the Northern Ireland Open on Wednesday. Jimmy White and Mark Allen both went out in the afternoon to Martin O'Donnell and Oliver Lines respectively, before John Higgins was humbled by Barry Hawkins. In the evening session, Kyren Wilson edged past Anthony McGill in the evening session before Mark Williams breezed past Noppon Saengkham.
Trump feels Selt was 'overthinking' in Northern Ireland Open second round clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
JOIN US TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER BIG DAY OF SNOOKER...
Eight matches are remaining as the remaining players seek to make the quarter-final.
The afternoon sees Shaun Murphy take on Stuart Bingham, while Judd Trump plays Barry Hawkins to close out the evening session.
TONIGHT'S RESULTS
Neil Roberson 4-0 Wang Yuchen
Kyren Wilson 4-3 Anthony McGill
Mark Williams 4-1 Noppon Saengkham
Stan Moody 4-0 Jak Jones
WILSON: IT WAS SO SIMILAR
The match of the day saw Kyren Wilson edge past friendly rival Anthony MacGill and both men's minds turned back to their match at the Crucible six months ago.
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‘It was so similar’ – Wilson compares latest McGill epic to 2020 World Championship clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
EARLIER...WILSON AND MCGILL IN ANOTHER CLASSIC
What else would you expect after their memorable Crucible clash.
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Watch: Shades of 2020 World Championship semi-final as Wilson beats McGill in dramatic decider
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WILLIAMS BEATS SAENGKHAM 4-1!
A comfortable win in the end for Williams, so much for his suggestion he struggles to play late at night at his age!
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (64-39)
Williams leaves himself a double on the blue and he nails it!
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (27*-39)
After losing position and audacious double keeps the break going.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (13*-39)
Williams is left an easy red to middle after another Saengkham miss and he now looks likely to win the frame.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (6-34)
Saengkham plays a good shot to get back from baulk to set up a red, but he misses the next shot by a mile - yet somehow does not leave a shot on for Williams.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (6-22)
Saengkham pots a fantastic red from beyond baulk but he then goes for a very low percentage blue, rocketing it down towards the bottom right pocket and it bounces back up and down the table. Williams then misses a tough red to the middle so Saengkham has another chance.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (6-21)
Saengkham doesn't get the kiss he wanted from the pack and has to play safe.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (6-6*)
Williams aims a pot into the yellow pocket but the red wobbles before staying out. Now Saengkham is walking around the table with a confident air.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM (1*-0)
A loose safety from Williams sees the ball hit the jaws of the middle, but his opponent leaves the Welshman a red into the bottom right pocket and he slots it home to begin a potential break.
MOODY 4-0 JONES
Jones kept the match going as long as he could but Moody held on to win the match comfortably.
WILLIAMS 3-1 SAENGKHAM
Williams always had control of the safety battle and his second snooker sees his opponent gift him an easy pot on the green and he clears up down to the black.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (47-42)
Saengkham is given a chance on the last red and then pots a very good yellow but misses a long green, but does not leave it on for Williams.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (43-35)
Saengkham was a little unlucky double kissing the last red as he got it off the cushion and has to play safe.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (43-17*)
Saengkham pots a fantastic long red and now looks in a position to at least gain parity in the frame.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (43-10)
Williams tries to roll a red along the balk cushion but it does not drop in the yellow pocket. Now there is an awkward safety exchange with the majority of reds beyond the balk colours.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (37-10)
A messy exchange sees Saengkham spray the balls around the table but, after Williams misses, the Thai has a chance to build a score but breaks down early. The Welshman has now built a healthy score.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM (7-1)
A loose break allows Saengkham to pot a red into the middle, but he then misses a much easier black off its spot so Williams gets on the table but after breaking up the reds, he could not get on a colour.
WILLIAMS 2-1 SAENGKHAM
A tournament-leading break of 143 puts Williams in front.
WILLIAMS 1-1 SAENGKHAM (100*-0)
Williams reaches his century he is far from done yet. He is on for a big total clearance.
WILLIAMS 1-1 SAENGKHAM (53*-0)
A very smooth break and he opens the reds off the blue which will ensure he wins the frame in this visit.
WILLIAMS 1-1 SAENGKHAM (9*-0)
A sloppy safety from Saengkham getting a double kiss as he attempted to get back to baulk, left Williams with a pot into the left bottom pocket which he sinks - and now looks like piling up a lot more.
ON THE OTHER TABLE...
Stan Moody is 3-0 up against Jak Jones and Jones who needs snookers in the fourth.
WILLIAMS 1-1 SAENGKHAM
After a couple of attempts, Williams loses interest and concedes the frame.
WILLIAMS 1-0 SAENGKHAM (0-73)
The break ends just as Saengkham gets over the line meaning Williams needs snookers.
WILLIAMS 1-0 SAENGKHAM (0-54*)
The pink ball has to be spotted awkwardly below the pack of reds but it does not put off the Thai who has made the first half-century of the match - and is far from finished..
WILLIAMS 1-0 SAENGKHAM (0-20*)
Another poor break, this time from Williams and Saengkham pots a good red to give himself the chance to kick-start his bid for a third-round spot.
WILLIAMS 1-0 SAENGKHAM
Williams pots yellow and green to secure the first frame.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (63-31)
Williams fails to make Saenngkham pay intiially missing a pink into the middle, but a couple of shots later he is left the final red into the yellow pocket, which he sinks. He misses the brown afterwards, leaving Saengkham playing on looking for snookers.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (54*-31)
Saengkham fails to get out of a snooker twice and the second time round he sets Williams up to pot a red.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (45-31)
After a break of 36, Williams loses position and plays safe to baulk.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (10*-31)
An error-strewn match so far. Saengkham misses a fairly straightforward red into the bottom-right conter and Williams pots a fine long red before putting his opponent in a snooker. Saengkham misses the pack and Williams should now make him pay.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (8-18*)
Williams inadvertently sends the pink into the bottom right corner and the Thai has a decent opportunity now.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (1*-7)
Saengkham overcuts the black and Williams now has a good chance to score heavily.
WILLIAMS 0-0 SAENGKHAM (0-6*)
Awful break from Saengkham which almost sees the blue go into the green pocket, but after Williams misses a long pot he sinks a fine reverse double and has a chance to build a break now.
WILLIAMS-SAENGKHAM UP NEXT...
On the other table, Stan Moody is one-up against Jak Jones.
WILSON 4-3 MCGILL
Wilson pots green and brown to seal the match. What an incredible end to what began as such a high-quality battle.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (77-44)
McGill looks to play safe but cannons the green into the black which goes into the bottom right pocket.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (70-44)
Wilson lays a snooker behind the blue and McGill misses the green three times, before leaving a chance to his opponent to cut the ball into the bottom right pocket. Wilson misses the pot but leaves it safe!
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‘Don’t know if I can go through this’ – Wilson and McGill in another final-frame green-ball epic
Video credit: TNT Sports
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (58-44)
He runs out of position off the yellow and then looks to play a safety off the green and the cue ball runs straight into the middle pocket. Both players can't help laughing. Wilson is not left on a potting chance.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (54-44*)
McGill does so well to get the tricky last red off the cushion. It remains a tough pot into the middle but he plays it perfectly. The blue is still in a tricky position...
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (54-8)
Wilson plays a very good safety from which McGill could only leave Wilson a chance. But he misses it, leaving McGill a simple pot.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (54-8)
Wilson gets an awful kiss off the blue and left himself unable to continue his break. A lifeline McGill cannot have expected to get.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (38*-8)
It looks ominous for McGill now. Wilson has quickly built a lead and a number of reds around the pink spot look very pottable.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (1*-8)
McGill opts for a narrow cut of a red and leaves it in the jaws.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL (0-8*)
After an early safety exchange, Wilson sees a red hit the green and leave a chance into the middle pocket. McGill rockets it home and leaves himself on the black.
WILSON 3-3 MCGILL
McGill clears down to the black to force the decider we all wanted...except Kyren Wilson.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL (40-40*)
Wilson just clips the near bottom right jaw and the last red bounces out. McGill pots the red with the rest, then the yellow into the middle. He should force a decider now.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL (34*-37)
McGill cannons into the red on the side cushion off the pink but does not leave himself on a red. Then Wilson wobbles a shot to nothing in the jaws. It moved far enough away from the pocket to be a gimme and McGill jaws and double kisses it. Wilson should close things out now.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL (33-22*)
Another miss of a regulation pot. This time from McGill with the black on its spot. Wilson gets his break going with a blind cut into the middle pocket, but then he misses overcutting into the bottom right. We've gone from the highest quality to a low.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL (25-1*)
Did not see that happening! Wilson looked in total control and had powered a long pink into the yellow pocket, but lost concentration with a simple cut into the bottom left and misses. McGill now looking to force a decider. This match deserves it.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL (1*-0)
McGill plays a poor safety ricocheting against a ball on its way back to baulk. Wilson pots into the bottom right corner pocket - complete with the cue ball jumping over the pack of reds.
ROBERTSON 4-0 WANG
The Australian breezes through into the next round blitzing his Chinese opponent, including a break of 100 in the third frane.
WILSON 3-2 MCGILL
A showboat pot on the last red sees the white jump off the table, but a fantastic break of 70 before that.
WILSON 2-2 MCGILL (50*-29)
Wilson plays a fine shot on the penultimate red, which had a tight margin of error, and needed to be potted with right hand side to open the angle. Now Wilson is likely to go in front.
WILSON 2-2 MCGILL (18*-29)
McGill forces a pink into the middle to get an angle on a red and it bounces out. Now Wilson is at the table and he plays a great positional shot off the blue which opens the pack and leaves himself on a red.
WILSON 2-2 MCGILL (12-1*)
Wilson had a great chance to build a lead but inexplicably missed a red just below the pink ball and now McGill can make him pay.
WILSON 2-2 MCGILL
Wilson's second half-century of the match, ending with a break of 62.
WILSON 1-2 MCGILL (36*-50)
Wilson now the favourite. One red and the colours remaining.
WILSON 1-2 MCGILL (8*-50)
The luck turns...and then some. McGill breaks up the pack off the black and a red goes into the middle pocket. Now Wilson is on the way on an inviting table.
WILSON 1-2 MCGILL (0-29*)
A bit of luck for McGill. He goes up the table and knocks the brown over the yellow pocket. Instead of end of break it is a nice angle to get back down south and continue.
WILSON 1-2 MCGILL (0-8*)
McGill left a red over the bottom right pocket but Wilson was snookered from it and could only push it into the jaws, gifting his opponent the chance to get going again.
WATCH MCGILL'S LONG RED WHICH PROPELLED BELIEF
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‘Oh my word’ – McGill left in disbelief after drilling in incredible long red
Video credit: TNT Sports
WILSON 1-2 MCGILL
A total clearance of 131 for McGill. He will take some stopping now.
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‘He’s done it again’ – McGill makes second successive century in thrilling clash with Wilson
Video credit: TNT Sports
WILSON 1-1 MCGILL (0-100*)
Back-to-back centuries and this one has been even better quality than the first.
WILSON 1-1 MCGILL (0-56*)
McGill approaching frame ball, he has looked in total control of the cue ball here - very pleasing given his poor season up until now.
WILSON 1-1 MCGILL (0-8*)
McGill with a fine double to start a break in the frame. He looks in very good nick.
ON THE OTHER TABLE...
Neil Robertson is 2-0 in front against Wang Yuchen.
HAWKINS RELIEVED TO GET PAST HIGGINS
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‘You can see the relief’ – Hawkins ‘finally’ gets over the line in thriller against Higgins
Video credit: TNT Sports
WILSON 1-1 MCGILL
A fantastic break of 112 from McGill. Have a feeling this game could go down to the last game.
WILSON 1-0 MCGILL (14-90*)
Two high quality breaks in the first two frames. McGill gets the last red of the cushion and now looks on for a century.
WILSON 1-0 MCGILL (14-9*)
McGill misses twice attempting to come off two cushions to leave a red safe but his good safety (under threat of losing the frame) then forces an error from Wilson missing a difficult long red. Now McGill can start another break.
WILSON 1-0 MCGILL (6-1*)
Wilson plays safe leaving McGill a shot with a big pocket into the bottom left, but he hits the ball so sweetly it goes straight in. The two share a laugh about it.
WILSON 1-0 MCGILL (6*-0)
Wilson a little unlucky in breaking the reds up off the blue and not getting anything easy to attempt.
WILSON 1-0 MCGILL
The final red stays in the jaws, but Wilson secures the frame with a 77 break.
WILSON 0-0 MCGILL (69*-22)
The frame is sealed for Wilson now. The last two reds are tough but he could get a century here.
WILSON 0-0 MCGILL (1*-22)
McGill leaves the black in the jaws and now the world champion has a chance to take control of the first frame.
WILSON 0-0 MCGILL (0-19*)
McGill gets a chance to open the scoring and pots a fine long red into the yellow pocket, setting himself perfectly on the black and a pretty inviting table.
THE EVENING SESSION IS IMMINENT
That’s it for what proved to be an extended afternoon session at the 2024 Northern Ireland Open.
Be sure to head straight back here shortly for the evening action as Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson take centre stage shortly.
RESULT! - HIGGINS 2-4 HAWKINS
The Hawk takes care of business up to the blue where he lands too straight. He sinks it to middle left but needs a special pot on the pink to the right corner.
This time he comes up trumps and the black to the same pocket secures the win.
Higgins had threatened an unlikely recovery from 3-0 down but Barry eventually gets the job done and sets up a clash with Trump in the next round.
HIGGINS 2-3 HAWKINS (70-43)
Hawkins sets about an unlikely recovery but as he preys upon the pink he knows he can only tie with the snooker now.
It doesn’t deter his effort, however, and he attempts to lay the trap on the final red…
But wait! Higgins should be able to swerve out of trouble, only to miscue and foul. It’s six to Hawkins and a free ball. Once more his destiny is in his own hands.
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‘Look at that’ – Hawkins gets cue ball to dance after exquisite banana shot on long red
Video credit: TNT Sports
HIGGINS 2-3 HAWKINS (70-0)
Hawkins hits the far jaw with a red to middle left and leaves a half chance for John.
The Wizard of Wishaw delivers with a scorching red from right to left and his reward is a quick-fire combo of routine red and blacks.
An attempted split isn’t perfect, but doesn’t hinder his run until a blue to middle right sees an effort to secure a second split go awry.
He needs some elegant cueing to steer over the pack and guide a red up to middle left to keep him on point. It’s deja vu off a pot on the pink as a nick off the black leaves him needing to pull off another excellent shot up to middle left.
The hard work pays dividends as he passes the half century mark and a red along the bottom rail to the right corner is followed by a pink to that middle left again to leave Barry needing a snooker.
Higgins duly misses the next red and Hawkins will return to the table after all.
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‘It means a lot’ – Lines reacts after claiming scalp of home favourite Allen
Video credit: TNT Sports
HIGGINS 2-3 HAWKINS
John plays another stunning snooker to counter a super safety from Barry.
The Hawk is stuck in baulk behind pink and brown. He pulls off the rescue but leaves the green on.
Higgins coolly fires it down to the right corner and completes the clearance from there to reduce the arrears further.
HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (46-69)
Higgins gets the first chance on the yellow and rockets it from mid-table up to the green pocket.
He thinks he’s in, but the cue ball rolls too far towards baulk and Barry is still in the hunt.
HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (44-69)
John lays an absolute pearl of a snooker behind the blue on the green spot with the yellow way down on the bottom rail.
Hawkins can’t pull off the swerve and the foul means it’s game-on in the frame once again!
HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (40-69)
It’s an inviting and open table now which will be most welcome to Barry as battles his own nerves with the finish line so close.
A key moment arrives as he passes the 30-mark when he needs rock-solid hands to despatch a red down the left cushion with the rest.
He stuns it down with aplomb and moves ahead on the board.
A brilliant cut on a pink down to the right corner sees him come off two cushions and land topside of the penultimate red down the right rail.
It’s a tough shot, but he nudges it in with the rest to keep his destiny in his own hands.
A delicate black to the left corner helps him land high on the left cushion to play down for the red. He manages to shunt it home and just about wriggles a black to the opposite corner despite tricky cueing off the cushion.
The run of 60 ends there as he can’t pot the yellow with that finish line once again ever so close…
Higgins needs a snooker as he's 29 behind with 237 left.
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Watch: White leaves O'Donnell and referee befuddled after abrupt concession
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HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (40-9)
They are both at it!
Higgins quickly builds a tidy lead with some accomplished routine pots, but he then contrives to miss a simple red to the right corner and puts his hands to his head.
There’s another chance for Hawkins here, can he keep his nerve?
HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (0-9)
A Higgins safety immediately goes awry as he leaves a red hovering over the left corner pocket.
Hawkins can just about see it and thunders it down, holding the cue ball down the table to land neatly on the black. Barry sinks and a routine red but then misses the black off the spot to the left corner.
There’s no doubt the lapse on that yellow in the previous frame has shaken his confidence.
HIGGINS 1-3 HAWKINS (48-48)
John gets the first chance of the pot and arrows a long yellow up the left rail to its own pocket.
Green, brown and blue follow to ensure he will be on the board and he clears up to the black to leave Barry pondering what might have been had he potted that routine yellow.
HIGGINS 0-3 HAWKINS (48-48)
The Hawk knocks an easy close-range red down to middle left and then guides a black down the right rail to the corner.
The balls are there for him to complete the whitewash and a red and black to the right corner leaves him on the penultimate red to the opposite corner.
He sinks the pink to middle left and paves the way for a cut on the final red to the right corner.
It leaves him on the brown that he duly buries in the yellow bag.
However, a shocking miss on the yellow with the match pretty much all-but done, hands Higgins an unlikely glimmer of hope…
HIGGINS 0-3 HAWKINS (48-12)
Higgins sinks a red down the left flank to the corner but quickly loses position.
He could be forgiven for thinking it’s just not his day, but he drills down a blue to middle left and then recovers control of the cue ball with a sizzling red to the left corner.
It allows him to methodically work his way towards the half century with a tricky red down to the left corner paving the way for a high-angle black.
It’s not to be, however, as he fails to convert with the rest and the doors opens for Hawkins once more…
HIGGINS 0-3 HAWKINS (0-12)
A tense and lengthy safety exchange to kick off the frame finally ends when a pure fluke sees a red fly to the right corner and put Barry in charge.
It’s a real ‘sorry, not sorry’ moment as he bids to take full advantage and win this match.
A colour follows but his bullet attempt on a red to the right corner rattles the jaws and stays out.
It leaves a chance for John, who will feel he was due a slice of luck!
HIGGINS 0-3 HAWKINS
Hawkins seizes the initiative and follows up an easy red hovering over the pocket with a blue to middle that allows him to float the cue ball to the bottom deck and attack a red along that rail.
He pops it down with real style and leaves Higgins needing snookers.
The final red along the bottom rail fails to accept the invitation of the left-corner pocket, but it matters little as The Hawk moves to within a frame of a meeting with Judd Trump in the next round.
HIGGINS 0-2 HAWKINS (20-50)
Hawkins cuts a long red to the left corner and comes off the bottom rail to land shy of baulk to pop the yellow up to its own bag.
A red to left middle keeps him motoring but he’s left shaking his head when a pot on a red leaves him in apparent no man’s land near the pink spot.
He’s full of confidence though and takes on a long blue up to the green pocket that finds its target like a rocket.
A red to the right corner secures the recovery of position up to blue, but he can’t cannon into two reds close to the left-side of the bottom cushion and he’s forced to end his run on 30.
John attempts a safety from baulk and completely misses his target. It's a foul that leads him to catch the intended red too thick on the second attempt and he could well be about to fall 3-0 down here.
HIGGINS 0-2 HAWKINS (20-13)
John looks to make the most of a rare error from Hawkins and his confidence soars when a brilliant positional shot off two cushions via a rasping pot on the green to its own pocket lands him bang on a red to the right corner.
A black to the left corner leaves him needing a special pot on a red up to the green pocket, but he can’t execute it and his break ends on 20.
HIGGINS 0-2 HAWKINS (0-13)
Ouch!
Higgins finds himself in a pickle up in baulk and his initial attempt at the escape sees him foul and miss.
His second is just unlucky as he clips the blue on his way back to baulk and sees the cue ball make a beeline for the yellow pocket.
Hawkins rubs salt in the Scot’s wounds with a three-ball plant from the Dee and then a super yellow, but he can only manage three when a cut on a red down to the right corner misses by some distance.
HIGGINS 0-2 HAWKINS
Hawkins crunches down the penultimate red from left to right, screwing back for the black.
He’s almost too high on the black as he needs a fine cut to guide it to the left corner.
The final red needs a similar cut from a high position, but he sinks it nicely and knocks the yellow to its home pocket twice in quick succession to once again take charge on the remaining colours.
He recovers position for the brown after knocking in the green with the rest and when the blue follows to middle, it’s all over once again.
The Hawk pops in the pink and doesn’t bother with the black as he moves two frames to the good.
HIGGINS 0-1 HAWKINS (41-31)
Higgins calmly gets into a bit of rhythm but is soon faced by another situation with a plant.
This time he executes it brilliantly, nudging home a red via the rest down that left rail.
He’s faced by a similar shot with the rest on one red down that same flank seconds later, but this time he can’t find the pot and his run ends abruptly just when it seemed he had his mojo flowing.
HIGGINS 0-1 HAWKINS (26-31)
Barry coolly knocks in an opening red and rolls a blue to middle left to tee up a red to the left corner via the extended rest.
It’s routine red and blacks from there as he takes advantage of an inviting table to leave John with an unhappy sense of deja vu.
Hawkins’ positional play has been superb, but it goes wrong when he needs to produce a fine cut on a red that leaves him with awkward cueing on the black to the right corner.
It doesn’t go down and now Higgins has an opportunity to regain the impetus.
HIGGINS 0-1 HAWKINS (26-0)
A miscalculation on a safety from Hawkins allows Higgins to spy a pot on a red that he follows with a yellow up to its home pocket.
The Scot quickly runs out of position and a delicate cut on a red to the right corner still doesn’t enable him to rescue it.
A brilliant cut on the yellow across to the green pocket leaves him in the lap of the gods with a couple of cannons off stray reds south of the pack.
There’s still nothing simple on, but he soon changes that with a splendid long red up to the yellow pocket that finally has him perfect on the black to the right corner.
Red and black follow to the left corner but he comes up short on 26 when a plant on a red to the right corner doesn’t pay off.
HIGGINS 0-1 HAWKINS
The Hawk takes advantage of Higgins’ sloppy snooker that didn’t even sit behind the black as intended, firing a beauty of a long red up to the yellow bag.
He knocks in the final stray reds and is careful with a black to the left corner that allows him to attack a red in the centre of the remainder of the pack. He gets the ricochet he wants via the pot to the right corner and a frame-winning position begins to present.
Higgins can only watch on as Barry polishes off the final reds, working his way to the brown that effectively seals the steal via a pot to the yellow pocket.
Hawkins doesn’t stop there, clearing up with a run of 86, leaving Higgins to rue that poor attempt at the snooker.
HIGGINS 0-0 HAWKINS (47-0)
It’s the Wizard of Wishaw who shows first in this showdown as he makes good use of the extension to jab away an opening red.
He changes his mind on the green and opts to screw back off a pot on the yellow to its home pocket to land on a red to the middle left.
A routine black to the left corner moves him into double figures and he stays on course with a careful red up to middle left form near the black spot. It leaves him well-placed to knock in the black and pick off the final stray red shy of the pack.
The pot allows him to cannon up into the pack to bring a few more reds into play.
He makes quick work of those but his bid to push beyond the half century goes awry when a cut on a black down to the right corner doesn’t provide the split he was hoping for.
H2H
There have been quite a few meetings over the years across all competitions with Higgins edging the match-up 9-7.
NEXT UP...
John Higgins takes on Barry Hawkins.
RESULT! - ALLEN 3-4 LINES
It’s all over!
The two-time champion and home favourite is OUT.
Allen knocks in a red but misses a wild black to the left corner by some distance. It leaves a red on, but he’s had enough and offers the handshake.
It’s a superb win for Lines with the World No.83 edging out the World No.3.
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (1-57)
Allen can’t hide his dismay when a safety attempt to play in-behinds the pink on the left cushion goes wrong.
It leaves it open for Oli to drill a red to the right corner.
He plays safe to baulk but Allen needs a minor miracle now.
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (1-56)
What a chance for Lines!
He tees up a long red to the right corner with the rest. The ball is just to the left of the pocket. He only needs that to knock out the two-time champion … but he misses by some distance!
On we go!
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (1-56)
Oli knocks in a red and then comes up trumps on a tough, pressure blue down the left rail via the rest.
He slips a routine red to the right corner and ending topside of blue brings him back down for a well-spread lay of reds.
Nerves have been clear with both sets of players and he breathes a sigh of relief when he overcuts a red to the corner but sees it drop in off the far jaw.
He makes no mistake with a similar cut on the blue to middle right and when he follows another red with a black to the left corner, he just needs one more red.
However…. In-keeping with the match as a whole, a nasty ricochet means he’s blocked off on three reds to the right corner and has to play safe.
Close, and yet still so far for the underdog…
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (1-30)
Mark guides a lovely red tucked just under the pink up to middle right and earns a ‘Come on’ from the home support.
It doesn’t give him the lift he needs and a pink up to middle left hits the far jaw and stays out!
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (0-30)
Allen targets a thin slice of a red furthest east on the bottom rail but fails to nick it on his retreat back to baulk.
He’s surprised when the foul is called and thinks he hit it. He didn’t and Lines puts him back in.
The World No.3 gets a double kiss executing an escape on the second attempt and leaves a long red up to the yellow bag. Oli hammers it down but then misses the blue off the spot and Allen has a lifeline!
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
RESULT! - White 2-4 O’Donnell
RESULT! - Slessor 4-2 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 3-3 LINES (0-25)
The stakes are high and it’s no surprise that it’s cagey for the first few moments of this decisive frame.
Lines has been superb with his long potting today, but he misses one here and thinks it’s crucial.
It isn’t. Allen fails to guide down a routine red up to the yellow pocket and instead the World No.83 gets a big chance to put together a lead.
He plays off the green a couple of times and is able to take care of some stray reds around baulk. The blue also has a nose-bleed up there and he uses the rest to nudge it to the green pocket and get it back on its spot.
He ends up on the far left behind the final red lost in baulk, but can’t guide it home to the green pocket. It was very make-able and the miss offers Allen a lifeline.
ALLEN 3-3 LINES
A bizarre foul and a miss on a routine safety from baulk from Allen makes it even more unlikely he’ll rescue this.
Lines steps in and nails another top-drawer long red before laying another trap.
Allen’s focus appears to dip and another foul leads him to concede.
Oli is still in with a big shout of the upset here as we head into a one-frame shoot-out.
ALLEN 3-2 LINES (8-55)
Oli breaks another cagey impasse with a well-paced long red to the left corner.
There’s nothing on beyond that, so he plays the black safe to the left cushion and makes a comeback even more unlikely for Mark.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 2-3 O’Donnell
RESULT! - Slessor 4-2 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 3-2 LINES (8-54)
Lines looks intent on taking this to a decider and produces a delicious, tough red down to the right corner to nudge ever closer.
He then plays safe, knocking the pink to the right cushion and retreating to baulk.
ALLEN 3-2 LINES (8-53)
Allen knocks in the stubborn red and attempts to fizz into the pack off a black to the left corner.
It does not pay off as the cue ball rests in the middle of a pack that remains undisturbed and once again the frame develops into an attritional tussle.
ALLEN 3-2 LINES (0-53)
Lines spies a long red up to the yellow pocket and guides it straight to the middle of the bag.
He then pings a pink to middle right and with a nice lay of stray reds around the reminder of the pack, an inviting situation begins to develop for him.
He methodically builds a decent lead but is hampered slightly by the fact the blue is now on the yellow spot with the pink where the blue usually resides.
He needs a fine cut on a green up to the yellow bag but misses the cannon into the pack that he was hoping for.
It looks like end of break, but he pulls off a beauty of a long red down the right rail to stay on course.
A simple red to middle left tees up the pink to the opposite pocket that takes him past the half century.
However, a red refuses to drop when he tries to tease it to the right corner via the rest.
ALLEN 3-2 LINES
A face-off on the final red ensues with both players coming close to pots that jiggle with the jaws and stay out.
Lines’ miss proves costly as Allen manages to get enough of a cut on a the long red to the yellow pocket to take charge.
A pink tees up the yellow to its home pocket with the green following suit in the opposite direction.
The brown secures a tense frame with Mark clearing up to the black to move within a frame of victory.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 2-2 O’Donnell
RESULT! - Slessor 4-2 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 3-2 LINES (47-37)
There’s a lengthy impasse until Lines cuts a belter of a long red to the right corner.
It doesn’t pave the way to an end to this gruelling frame, however, as he can only manage a break of five.
Allen plays a safety behind the blue now close to the bottom rail. It’s not that tricky to escape but Oli makes a hash of it and suddenly it’s The Pistol in the driving seat.
He works his way through a succession of reds but blows the penultimate one along the bottom cushion and his run ends on 16.
Oli cuts it in but opts to play a snooker up in baulk, behind the line of the pink.
Allen swerves his way out of trouble for now, but with one red left this frame remains in the balance.
ALLEN 2-2 LINES (31-30)
It’s so tight out there with very little coming easy.
Allen knocks in a red and then a black to the left corner, but can’t develop anything further.
It’s 2-2 and one point in it, you can’t get much closer right now.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 2-1 O’Donnell
Slessor 3-2 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 2-2 LINES (23-30)
Allen gobbles up a far more routine red to the corner and then tickles down a pink before attempting a plant on a red to the left corner.
Lines had turned that down thinking it wouldn’t go, and he was right. Allen can’t find the angle for the pot and the two share a grin and a quick word about it.
ALLEN 2-2 LINES (15-30)
Lines seizes the initiative, popping in an opening red and then making intelligent use of the rest to angle the black to the left corner.
He moves ahead on the board but gets an unfortunate nick off a red jabbing down one to the left corner via the extension and his hopes of landing on the black collapse.
He surveys the table and takes on a stonking long blue to the yellow pocket that is surely the shot of the match so far.
He needs another big pot to keep going but can’t drill a red to the left corner after being hindered in his cue-action by the cushion.
ALLEN 2-2 LINES (15-0)
Allen sizzles down a long red to land neatly on the blue across baulk. He jumps back in fear of a miscue but it’s a reaction that has Neal Foulds puzzled on Eurosport comms as it slides gracefully to the green pocket.
The Northern Irishman clearly isn’t too happy with how things are going this afternoon and he can only manage a run of 15 as a bad miss on a routine red to the right corner sums up his game at present.
ALLEN 2-2 LINES
That’ll do nicely.
Mark cuts the final red to the middle right. It pretty much seals the frame so his ensuing miss on the yellow is academic.
It’s two apiece and finely poised, but Lines will feel he had his chances to pull clear there.
ALLEN 1-2 LINES (51-12)
It’s gone scrappy again.
Lines fluffs his, er, lines when he fails to clip a blue to the right corner. It was a tricky pot and the miss was all the more disappointing as it left a red on for Mark.
The Pistol takes care of the reds up to the final one that is stuck to the left rail and leaves a lifeline for Oli.
Mark has to play safe behind the black as he moves the red clear, ending on a run of 29.
ALLEN 1-2 LINES (22-7)
Lines tries to nudge a tricky plant off a red into the middle left and gets it horribly wrong.
It offers Allen a chance and he duly sinks the red and then pummels down a yellow with deep screw to work his way to a red loose of the pack.
An attempt to split a pack that has somehow moved below the black doesn’t quite leave him on a simple red and he needs a delightful pot along the bottom rail to the left corner to stay on track.
It’s a brief recovery as he follows that with a miss on an easier black to the right corner to come up shy on 22.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 1-1 O’Donnell
Slessor 2-2 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 1-2 LINES (0-7)
Oli flukes a long red to the right corner and gets a delicious nick off a yellow that tees up a simple pot to its home pocket.
He screws back with pace to come down the table and land on a red across to the left corner.
It’s a brilliant cut with power that takes him back up towards baulk where he again feeds upon the yellow, navigating off the upper left cushion to finish nicely on a choice of reds to the right corner.
His position goes awry then and he needs to attack a pink with pace to the middle right. It duly pops back out and his work only pays out a measly run of seven.
ALLEN 1-2 LINES
Allen needs the snookers, but it’s Lines who produces a beauty, tight behind the black.
Mark plays up to the two remaining reds now in baulk, but leaves one on down to the middle right.
Oli duly sinks it and that’s enough for Allen to concede.
Is there an upset brewing here for the Irishman in front of his home crowd?
ALLEN 1-1 LINES (23-73)
It’s a mountain to climb for Allen but he’s game.
Slowly, but surely he begins to eat into Lines’ lead, earning a gasp from the crowd as a slow-paced red to middle right just about makes it and drops.
He offers a cheeky smile and then looks for his first snooker with a safety in-behind the green in baulk.
ALLEN 1-1 LINES (0-73)
There’s a shake of the head from Mark as a red up to baulk catches the far jaw of the yellow pocket and pops out.
On Eurosport Comms, Neal Foulds questions whether he was actually attempting a pot there. In any case, he leaves a simple pot on for Lines, who pops away the pink to work his way down to the pack and a black to the right corner.
A delightful pot on the blue to middle left allows him to nudge the cue ball into the pack and develop a very tidy split.
It’s there for the World No.83 to pull clear but as he passes the half century he catches a red after sinking the black to the right corner and needs to pull off a beauty of a red up to middle left to regain position.
A red to the left corner and a routine black to the opposite bag leave Allen needing snookers, but he misses a red down the left rail and his run of 73 isn’t quite enough to stop Allen from returning to the table.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 1-0 O’Donnell
Slessor 1-1 Long Zehuang
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'Oh goodness me!' - Lines hits white with rest in 'absolute nightmare scenario'
Video credit: TNT Sports
ALLEN 1-1 LINES
Here we go. This is more like it from Mark.
It’s his smoothest period of the match so far as he quickly moves through the gears, routinely despatching reds to move beyond frame ball and set his sights on a century.
The final red along the bottom rail refuses the invitation of the right corner bag, but it’s a minor irritation as a superb break of 87 sees him level the match.
ALLEN 0-1 LINES (14-0)
Allen’s frustration may well be growing as he sees an early sighter on a long red jiggle the jaws of the bottom left pocket and pop out. He’s still first to show, however, but despite working nicely off the blue to middle left, he can’t develop much more and plays into the centre of pack after scoring just 14.
AROUND THE TABLES (best of seven frames)
White 1-0 O’Donnell
Slessor 0-1 Long Zehuang
ALLEN 0-1 LINES
It’s more frustration for Allen. He will feel this frame should be over, but he blows another chance to seal it with a miss on a make-able red to the green pocket.
It leaves a long red on for Lines that he guides slowly to the left corner.
The clearance is on with just the colours remaining and when he rolls the brown across baulk to the yellow pocket, he’s nicely placed to cut the blue to the middle left.
A splendid pot on the pink to the right corner leaves him two points behind and he duly sinks the black to the same bag to pull off a fantastic steal from his point of view.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (53-27)
Oli spies a red to the left corner despite Mark thinking he’d left him in a pickle and the World No.83 nicks it into the bag. It’s a splendid pot that he follows with a green and another red before a pink down to the left corner provides him with some hope of developing a run for an unlikely steal.
The penultimate red to the right corner is cooly despatched and he jabs the pink to the opposite bag via the rest to land just behind the final red down the right rail.
He needs the rest again but can’t shunt it into the pocket. This time he grimaces. He knows he should have made that.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (53-9)
Lines can’t keep Allen at bay in a brief safety exchange and leaves a long red to the left corner that The Pistol fires down with aplomb.
The World No.3 then plays off the blue to tuck the cue ball tight to the baulk cushion behind the brown.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (52-9)
Argh. Lines just can’t get himself firing as he follows up a simple red with a miss-hit black that does find the corner, but it means the cue ball doesn’t drift high enough on two reds to the opposite flank.
It leaves him with a tough cut that he doesn’t negotiate and this opening frame is beginning to get a touch scrappy.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (52-1)
The Pistol nails a red and a yellow to come back down the table towards the remainder of the pack, but he loses position all-too-quickly and can’t cut a tricky red to that bottom right corner.
It’s a quick-fire tally of 10, but he’s not over the line just yet.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (42-1)
Oli gets off the mark with a beast of a long red to the right corner.
He’s got an awkward cut on the black with the rest and pots it perfectly, but then the cue slips in his hand and he knocks the cue ball.
It’s a foul that puts Allen firmly in the box seat in this opening frame.
Lines takes his sit smiling but it’s a rueful one!
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (35-0)
Oli comes off the upper left cushion and lower right rail in his attempt to nick a red furthest east along the bottom deck. He just misses with the first effort, but adds pace on the second and avoids leaving Allen with anything simple.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (31-0)
It’s Allen who gets back in again, thundering a long red to the right corner, but the cue ball drifts beyond the baulk line and he opts for a safety in-behind the green.
ALLEN 0-0 LINES (30-0)
Lines attempts a plant down the right rail but misses it by some distance. It opens the door for Allen to clip a simple red to the right corner via the rest before taking full advantage of a well spread pack.
A routine black and red take him topside of blue and the weight of shot to the right middle is perfect to move him directly on a red to the right corner.
He’s content to work off the blue, continually dropping down to knock down a succession of reds to that right corner.
He plays up to a red in the Dee and slots it to the green pocket before potting the green to its home bag to come back down towards the remainder of the pack.
This time the pace of shot is slightly too fast and his attempt to cut a fine red to the right corner catches the near jaw. He’ll be disappointed with that, he had a good opportunity to notch up a heavy score there.
HERE WE GO!
Six players, three tables with World No.3 Allen featuring on Table 1.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the fifth meeting between Allen and Lines across every competition and The Pistol has had the upper hand, winning all four of the previous encounters.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/10/03/image-2a91d075-7e32-4236-a487-36668301412e-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Mark Allen
Image credit: Getty Images
WILL WE SEE THE WHIRLWIND FIST-PUMPING AGAIN TODAY?
Jimmy White battled controversy and a series of dramatic misses to defeat Hossein Vafaei in Round 1 of the Northern Ireland Open. The 62-year-old called the match "bizarre" after witnessing a rare rail fluke, a frame-deciding battle for black, and a contentious refereeing call. White said that he was "desperate for a win" and admitted he was low on confidence before the victory.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/10/21/4053753-82212713-2560-1440.jpg)
White delivers fist pump to Belfast crowd after memorable win over Vafaei
Video credit: TNT Sports
GOOD AFTERNOON
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 Northern Ireland Open. We will be focusing on the R2 match between Mark Allen and Oliver Lines but will keep you updated with what's going on elsewhere as veteran Jimmy White looks to build on his epic three-hour win over Hossein Vafaei against Martin O'Donnell.
Later, John Higgins locks horns with Barry Hawkins.
The boys are at the baulk from 13.00 BST.
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'That is quite a performance' - Allen completes whitewash win over Hongyu
Video credit: TNT Sports
Stream the Northern Ireland Open live on discovery+
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