Qualifying for the 2025 Northern Ireland Open threw up some interesting results with 32 players sealing their spots in the main draw.
The last four days at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester saw the competitors who were seeded from 33 to 128 attempt to safeguard their position in Belfast.
Among those who advanced to the Home Nations Series ranking event next month was Luca Brecel, who secured his first victory of the 2025/26 campaign.
Brecel has endured a difficult start to the new term through a mixture of illness and at times having to play without his cue.
But the Belgian Bullet got back to winning ways on Sunday with a comprehensive 4-0 defeat of Liam Davies to reach the last 64, where he’ll face Stephen Maguire in a humdinger tie.
Elsewhere, Jordan Brown was the only one from the home Northern Irish contingent to make it through the preliminary phase.
The former Welsh Open champion is in a battle this season for tour survival but managed to overcome Mitchell Mann with a 4-2 scoreline.
Brown’s reward is a likely tie on the TV table next month against reigning world champion Zhao Xintong.
Cork’s Aaron Hill additionally qualified for what is effectively his home tournament as well, with the improving 23-year progressing courtesy of a 4-1 triumph over Gao Yang.
Wuhan Open quarter-finalist Stan Moody and two-time recent maximum man Thepchaiya Un-Nooh were among the others to qualify thanks to respective victories over Reanne Evans and Julien Leclercq.
Ryan Day improved his chances of a return to the top 32 in the world rankings with a 4-1 win over Allan Taylor, but fellow experienced Welshman Matthew Stevens suffered an unexpected 4-3 reverse at the hands of Steven Hallworth.
Veteran three-time ranking event winner Marco Fu managed to make it through both of his qualifying matches, however.
Ashley Hugill, meanwhile, was the only one from the small crop of amateur wildcards and top-ups who emerged with a ticket to the Waterfront Hall.
The Englishman, who was relegated from the main tour in 2024, recorded a standout victory over Ricky Walden in the second round.
All the top 32 seeds in the 2025 Northern Ireland Open draw will enter the fray when the venue stages commence on October 19th.
That will include the likes of Zhao, world number one Judd Trump, and reigning Alex Higgins Trophy holder Kyren Wilson.
The latter will launch his defence with a tricky opening fixture against Oliver Lines, while three-time former winner Trump will entertain Anthony McGill.
Starting on October 19th and concluding on October 26th, the 2025 edition will be the second event of four on the Home Nations Series – providing a champion’s cheque worth £100,000.
All the recent qualifying results from the Northern Ireland Open and the updated draw for the last 64 are below.
2025 Northern Ireland Open Draw
Qualifying Results
Round of 128 (bo7)
Ken Doherty 1-4 Yao Pengcheng
Allan Taylor 4-1 Chatchapong Nasa
Antoni Kowalski 4-0 Zak Sheldon
Chris Totten 0-4 Liam Graham
Julien Leclercq 4-2 Florian Nuessle
Farakh Ajaib 4-3 Oliver Brown
Haris Tahir 4-0 Connor Benzey
Haydon Pinhey 0-4 Ian Burns
Ben Mertens 0-4 Liam Pullen
Sunny Akani 4-2 Xu Yichen
Lan Yuhao 4-2 Mahmoud El Hareedy
Amir Sarkhosh 2-4 Marco Fu
Jonas Luz 4-3 Kreishh Gurbaxani
Reanne Evans w/o Mohammed Shehab
Dylan Emery 4-1 Liam Highfield
Bai Yulu 2-4 David Grace
Iulian Boiko 2-4 Alexander Ursenbacher
Steven Hallworth 4-0 Ross Muir
Chang Bingyu 4-0 Jiang Jun
Sam Craigie 4-1 Joel Connolly
Liam Davies 4-1 Ng On Yee
Cheung Ka Wai 4-1 Mink Nutcharut
Huang Jiahao 4-2 Jimmy White
Louis Heathcote 4-0 Sahil Nayyar
Robbie McGuigan 3-4 Fergal Quinn
Gao Yang 4-1 Liu Wenwei
Michal Szubarczyk 1-4 Patrick Whelan
Wang Yuchen 3-4 Mateusz Baranowski
Artemijs Zizins 4-2 Zhao Hanyang
Bulcsu Revesz 2-4 Leone Crowley
Hatem Yassen 1-4 Ashley Hugill
Mitchell Mann 3-4 Umut Dikme
Kyren Wilson won the 2024 Northern Ireland Open. Photo credit: WSTRound of 96 (bo7)
Oliver Lines 4-2 Yao Pengcheng
Ryan Day 4-1 Allan Taylor
Scott Donaldson 4-2 Antoni Kowalski
He Guoqiang 4-0 Liam Graham
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-3 Julien Leclercq
Mark Davis 4-0 Farakh Ajaib
Lyu Haotian 3-4 Haris Tahir
Sanderson Lam 2-4 Ian Burns
Long Zehuang 4-2 Liam Pullen
Daniel Wells 4-3 Sunny Akani
Michael Holt 2-4 Lan Yuhao
Jamie Jones 2-4 Marco Fu
Jimmy Robertson 4-0 Jonas Luz
Stan Moody 4-0 Reanne Evans
Xu Si 3-4 Dylan Emery
Gong Chenzhi 0-4 David Grace
Anthony McGill 4-1 Alexander Ursenbacher
Matthew Stevens 3-4 Steven Hallworth
Ishpreet Singh Chadha 0-4 Chang Bingyu
Martin O’Donnell 4-2 Sam Craigie
Luca Brecel 4-0 Liam Davies
Liu Hongyu 1-4 Cheung Ka Wai
Robbie Williams 4-1 Huang Jiahao
Duane Jones 2-4 Louis Heathcote
Zak Surety 4-3 Fergal Quinn
Aaron Hill 4-1 Gao Yang
Robert Milkins 4-2 Patrick Whelan
Ben Woollaston 4-0 Mateusz Baranowski
Fan Zhengyi 4-2 Artemijs Zizins
David Lilley 4-3 Leone Crowley
Ricky Walden 3-4 Ashley Hugill
Jordan Brown 4-2 Mitchell Mann
Main Draw
Round of 64 (bo7)
Kyren Wilson vs Oliver Lines
Matthew Selt vs Ryan Day
Wu Yize vs Scott Donaldson
David Gilbert vs He Guoqiang
Joe O’Connor vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Zhang Anda vs Mark Davis
Jack Lisowski vs Haris Tahir
Mark Selby vs Ian Burns
Mark Williams vs Long Zehuang
Yuan Sijun vs Daniel Wells
Chris Wakelin vs Lan Yuhao
Tom Ford vs Marco Fu
Stuart Bingham vs Jimmy Robertson
Ali Carter vs Stan Moody
Zhou Yuelong vs Dylan Emery
Neil Robertson vs David Grace
Judd Trump vs Anthony McGill
Jackson Page vs Steven Hallworth
Gary Wilson vs Chang Bingyu
Jak Jones vs Martin O’Donnell
Stephen Maguire vs Luca Brecel
Si Jiahui vs Cheung Ka Wai
Pang Junxu vs Robbie Williams
John Higgins vs Louis Heathcote
Barry Hawkins vs Zak Surety
Lei Peifan vs Aaron Hill
Mark Allen vs Robert Milkins
Hossein Vafaei vs Ben Woollaston
Elliot Slessor vs Fan Zhengyi
Shaun Murphy vs David Lilley
Noppon Saengkham vs Ashley Hugill
Zhao Xintong vs Jordan Brown
Featured photo credit: WST