The Northern Irish Open is now in the books and after a brilliant week of action it was Kyren Wilson who emerged victorious. In a week of highs and lows, here are the week’s main talking points.
Wilson Shows Class And Offers a Stark Reminder to Judd Trump of His Qualities
Kyren Wilson landed his third title of the year when storming to victory at the Northern Irish Open. The world number two and of course the reigning world champion, showed that he has plenty of hunger to compete right at the top of the game.
Wilson’s win almost didn’t turn into fruition as he struggled in the first round, only narrowly beating world number 67 David Grace 4-3 in the first round.
On the cusp of an early exit, Wilson used his early scare to motivate him to play some of his best snooker. He would hold his nerve against the experienced Anthony McGill in round 2 but after that wouldn’t look back.
He would crush young up and comer Stan Moody 4-1 and would produce one of the best performances of the week when dispatching Mark Williams 5-1 in the quarterfinals. A 6-4 win against Junxu Pang in the semifinal was an up and down performance, but he showed enough grit to reach yet another final, where he would square off against his new great rival Judd Trump.
With some of snooker’s greatest names looking to be entering the twilight of their careers, the great rivalries between Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams will sadly soon be a thing of the past, however the game looks to be in safe hands with Trump and Wilson.
The two standout players currently in the game, whenever the pair meet often fireworks occur and that was certainly the case in Belfast.
Squaring up for the fourth time of the year, it was Trump who held a 2-1 advantage in their head to head but it was Wilson who last tasted victory when emerging victorious in the China Grand Prix final.
With both men containing an abundance of talent and self confidence it was Wilson who enjoyed the best of the early stages, quickly reaching a 3-0 lead before then returning and winning the next four.
Taking an almost unassailable 7-0 lead, Wilson returned for the evening session ready to complete one of the greatest whitewashes that the sport had ever seen, however Trump had different thoughts.
Winning the next two frames to make the score 7-2, Wilson suddenly had a few questions to answer. With the pressure starting to mount, he showed exactly why he is the World Champion winning the next two frames in convincing fashion to close out the match 9-2.
The clear number two in the world, it is unlikely that Wilson will win enough ranking points to overhaul Trump at the top of the rankings by the time that the World Championship starts next year. However, having beaten his rival in each of the last two occasions he will be confident that he could become the first man since Ronnie O’Sullivan to successfully defend his title.
Mystery Over Ronnie O’Sullivan Continues
For the third consecutive tournament Ronnie O’Sullivan was a no show and there is growing concern that the seven time World Champion may be nearing an exit from the sport.
For many, the greatest player to have ever played the game, O’Sullivan has made no secret of his struggles to get motivated. Now nearing his 50’s the professional tour is viewed as a younger man’s game and the idea of travelling around the world in search for precious ranking points simply makes little appeal.
As he has openly admitted, O'Sullivan plays the game for money and as long as he is comfortably inside the top 16 in the world rankings he can do that. Ranked five in the world rankings his place at next year’s Crucible is all but confirmed but for the game’s hierarchy concern must be mounting.
Although there is a whole new generation of young and exciting players, O’Sullivan is still the sport’s biggest draw. The last of a dying breed of mavericks whose skills were honed in the smoke filled snooker clubs, O’Sullivan is able to draw crowds and sponsors that few can match.
Snooker is steadily growing but in order to maintain their lofty ambitions for where they want to take the game, they need O’Sullivan to help carry them forward.
Race For The Top 16 Hots up
It was all change once again in the race to to finish the year inside the top 16.
Heading into the week holding the sixteenth spot was former World Champion Neil Robertson, but a quarter final effort wasn’t enough for him to hang on and he slipped down one spot to seventeenth.
Usurping him in the rankings was Tom Ford. Despite losing in the second round, Ford was able to accrue enough points to just overtake the Aussie. The battle looks set to rage on between the pair at next week’s Scottish Open.
One man able to make a little bit of traction up the rankings was former World Champion, Barry Hawkins. Now nineteenth in the standings, Hawkins would have to settle for a last sixteen effort, sadly proving no match for world number one Judd Trump.
Still with work to do, he will still need to play his best snooker over the next few months if he is to land a spot inside those coveted top 16 places.
One man who might be starting to look nervously over their shoulders is another former World Champion, John Higgins. Starting the week in 14th place it was a case of no change as his early exit to Barry Hawkins meant he was unable to make any significant gains on those around him in the standings.
Holding a £30,000 lead over Robertson in seventeenth place, his immediate future isn’t in jeopardy but a good showing at the Scottish Open would help strengthen his position inside the top 16 considerably.
Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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