Simply two members from the world’s high 16 are nonetheless within the draw on the last-16 stage of the 2026 Northern Eire Open.
A culling of the seeds has taken place over the opening few days of the season’s seventh rating occasion and the second from the Dwelling Nations Collection.
Kyren Wilson within the high half and Mark Williams within the backside half are the one two contenders from the elite bracket who stay concerned.
Each of them perceive what it takes to elevate the Alex Higgins Trophy, with Wilson having triumphed two years in the past in Belfast and Williams all the best way again in 2017.
However there’s an growing chance {that a} new identify will probably be etched onto the silverware come Sunday night on the Waterfront Corridor.
Wilson reached the third spherical of the venue phases with a 4-2 defeat of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, whereas Williams overcame Zhang Anda by the identical margin.
The latter will face Martin O’Donnell for a spot within the quarter-finals with Wilson up subsequent towards China’s Pang Junxu.
O’Donnell and Pang are amongst a gaggle of eight gamers who’re heading in the right direction to assert a maiden rating occasion crown.
The previous backed up his defeat of report four-time champion Judd Trump in spherical one with a 4-2 success over Luca Brecel on Wednesday.
Pang, in the meantime, shocked Liam Davies from 60 factors behind within the deciding body of their contest, making a last-gasp contribution of 81 to remain within the event.
Though a lot of the marquee names have already bitten the mud, there stays loads of expertise with a number of cueists hoping so as to add to their profession rating title haul.
Maybe probably the most harmful amongst these, aside from Wilson and Williams, is Jak Jones.
The Welshman already boasts a brace of rating titles from the 2026/27 marketing campaign and reached the final 16 in Belfast with a 4-2 victory over John Higgins.
Jones encounters Daniel Wells subsequent in an all-Welsh battle, whereas three-time rating occasion winner Ricky Walden and two-time champion Anthony McGill have equally superior.
The latter encounters Mateusz Baranowski, who’s having fun with his most profitable run in a rating occasion up to now, whereas Walden will play Elliot Slessor.
There will probably be an all-English tie between Matthew Selt and Sam Craigie, whereas this time period’s Championship League runner-up David Gilbert faces Cheung Ka Wai.
Hong Kong’s Cheung, a 4-3 winner towards Ronnie O’Sullivan earlier within the week, produced a high quality 4-0 show to beat Stuart Bingham and attain the final 16 of a rating event for the primary time in his profession.
Looking down a second rating title, Gilbert rode his luck earlier than finally pipping Gao Yang in a dramatic deciding body.
All eyes from the house crowd on the Waterfront Corridor, in the meantime, will probably be on Jordan Brown.
The Antrim Ferrari suffered by an emotional showdown with good friend Mark Allen on Tuesday and duly produced the products a day after, developing two century breaks in a good 4-3 overcome Michael Holt.
Brown, who’s doing his tour survival aspirations the world of fine, will play Scott Donaldson as he makes an attempt to achieve the quarters of a Northern Eire Open draw for the second successive season.
There’s a high prize value £100,000 on supply this week, and an added incentive for a lot of the gamers is the prospect of gaining an invite to the Champion of Champions.
Of the 16 gamers left within the area, solely Wilson and Jones have already assured their tickets to Leicester subsequent month.
2026 Northern Eire Open draw
Spherical of 16 (bo7)
All ties happen on Thursday, October 22
Anthony McGill vs Mateusz Baranowski
(not earlier than 2pm BST)
Kyren Wilson vs Pang Junxu
(1pm BST)
Matthew Selt vs Sam Craigie
(1pm BST)
Elliot Slessor vs Ricky Walden
(not earlier than 2pm BST)
David Gilbert vs Cheung Ka Wai
(7pm BST)
Mark Williams vs Martin O’Donnell
(7pm BST)
Jak Jones vs Daniel Wells
(Not earlier than 8pm BST)
Jordan Brown vs Scott Donaldson
(Not earlier than 8pm BST)
Featured photograph credit score: WST
