Northern Ireland Open Shock as In-Form Mark Selby Defeated by Qualifier Louis Heathcote

Reigning UK and China Open champion Selby was stunned 4-2 by qualifier Louis Heathcote on Sunday afternoon at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Four-time World Champion Selby is top of the one-year ranking list following his title triumph in Taiyuan in August and run to the final of last month’s British Open.

A quarter-finalist at the last event on the World Snooker Tour - the Shenzhen Open - Selby would have felt good about his hopes of claiming a maiden Northern Ireland Open crown and completing a Home Nations full house after title glories at the English, Scottish, and Welsh Opens earlier in his career.

Against fellow Leicester cueman Heathcote, everything was going according to plan for Selby as he deposited the opening frame with the aid of a 54 break before doubling his lead with a brilliant counter clearance of 70.

But world number 67 Heathcote - who had to win two qualifying matches held in England a few weeks ago to reach these televised stages - compiled breaks of 64 and 59 in levelling up at 2-2 before eventually winning four frames in-a-row for a big victory.

A surprise result it was, but it wasn’t the first time that the underdog had prevailed as in their only other top-flight meeting, Heathcote ousted Selby, 4-3, in the same round and at the same venue in the 2024 Northern Ireland Open.

Next up for Heathcote is a tie with Matthew Selt in the last 32. Indian Open winner Selt recovered from 3-1 down to pip Hossein Vafaei, 4-3.

Several upset results on day one at the Waterfront

Selby wasn’t the only top 16 player to exit the £550,400 world ranking event on day one of the main event, though, as world number 14 Xiao Guodong was sent packing by Sam Craigie during the morning session.

Runs of 129, 110, 64 and 82 assisted Craigie to victory; the world number 72 had to win the final two frames for a 4-3 verdict his way. For Xiao, he has now lost his last five matches on the circuit.

In the evening session, Neil Robertson - who was also looking to complete the four-legged Home Nations Series set - was eliminated from the competition by Ricky Walden.

Walden travelled to the Northern Irish capital in good form having reached the last 16 in Shenzhen a few weeks ago. The three-time ranking event winner racked up efforts of 75 and 76 in crafting a 3-0 lead.

World number four Robertson - who is yet to get an invite to next month’s Champion of Champions invitational - won his first frame of the tie with an 80 break in the fourth, but Walden got the victory in the next.

Not long after that result, Walden discovered his opponent in the next round as Joe O’Connor made contributions of 106 and 52 before icing a 4-1 win over Matthew Stevens with a 124.

The winner of this season’s opening Home Nations Series event at the English Open, Ali Carter won’t be claiming the second as he was whitewashed, 4-0, by Xu Si (breaks of 56 and 70).

Northern Ireland Open title holder Jack Lisowski passes opening test

Elsewhere on Sunday, reigning Northern Ireland Open champion Jack Lisowski got his title defence off with a 4-1 win over Huang Jiahao.

Lisowski - who memorably shaded close friend Judd Trump in a deciding frame in last year’s final to secure his maiden professional crown - made a 63 break in the opening frame before going on to build a 3-0 advantage. China’s Huang avoided a whitewash and was within touching distance of making it 3-2, but Lisowski cleared the final three balls in frame five to progress.

In the round of 32, Lisowski will share the baize with Anthony McGill who saw off Scottish compatriot Stephen Maguire, 4-1.

In an all-Chinese affair, teenage rookie Wang Xinbo defeated Si Jiahui, 4-2. Current World Open champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh from Thailand posted a break of 101 in the opening frame of a 4-2 victory over the Republic of Ireland’s number one player, Aaron Hill.

Polish cueist Mateusz Baranowski registered a mini shock as he pieced together the final two frames to deny three-time ranking event winner Gary Wilson, 4-3. It is the second time that Baranowski has reached the last 32 of a world ranking tournament.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 Northern Ireland Open, visit our tournament information centre here.