The 2021/22 snooker season gets underway with the Northern Ireland Open from Belfast and there is another star-studded line-up eager to get their campaigns off to the best star. Defending champions Judd Trump is headling the event but there will be all eyes on Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has lost to Trump in three consecutive finals.
But Trump is hoping he can extend his dominance at the Northern Ireland Open to become snooker’s main man.
“I’ve always had that expectation on me. There’s always been that hunger to be the main guy,” he told the Sunday Post ahead of the event.
“I don’t know when my prime is. If it’s now then I need to make the most of it. I always knew I was good but until you prove it to other people you never truly have that belief.
“I lost in that World [Championship] final to John [Higgins in 2011]. I won the [2011] UK Championship and I won a few other events. But it took a few years for me to really make my mark.
“Apart from Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis in their primes, I feel like it’s the most anyone has ever dominated.
“Especially with the strength in depth and the player quality that we have around now.”
Saturday, October 9
7pm
Christopher Clifford v Gao Yang
Zhou Yuelong v Jimmy Robertson
Anthony McGill v Lee Walker
Sunday, October 10
10am
Stephen Maguire v Steven Hallworth
Stuart Bingham v Ben Hancorn
Yan Bingtao v Hossein Vafaei
1pm
Jack Lisowski v Ashley Hugill
John Higgins v Joe O’Connor
Mark Selby v Mark Lloyd
2pm
Mark Allen v Si Jiahui
Robert McCullough v Sam Craigie
Neil Robertson v Barry Pinches
7pm
Judd Trump v Andrew Pagett
Kyren Wilson v Jamie Clarke
Gary Wilson v Jordan Brown
8pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stuart Carrington
Barry Hawkins v Iulian Boiko
Mark Williams v Mark Joyce
Monday, October 11
10am
Yuan SiJun v Alfie Burden
Lyu Haotian v Ali Carter
Mitchell Mann v Xiao Guodong
1pm
Shaun Murphy v Bai Langning
Liang Wenbo v Luca Brecel
2pm
James Cahill v Fergal O’Brien
7pm
Tom Ford v Ashley Carty
8pm
Oliver Lines v Ben Woollaston
Tuesday, October 12
10am
Lu Ning v Jamie O’Neill
David Grace v David Gilbert
1pm
Jackson Page v Noppon Saengkham
2pm
Martin O’Donnell v Ricky Walden
7pm
Simon Lichtenberg v Matthew Stevens
8pm
Martin Gould v Jak Jones
Wednesday, October 13
10am
Liam Highfield v Ryan Day
Chris Wakelin v Tian Pengfei
Rory McLeod v G Wilson/J Brown
Round 2: Monday-Wednesday
Round 3: Wednesday-Thursday
Round 4: Thursday
Quarter-finals: Friday
Semi-finals: Saturday
Final: Sunday
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