Allen & Brown progress to last 16 in Belfast

In a tense second-round contest on Wednesday, home favorite Mark Allen won the Northern Ireland Open 4-3 over Ben Woollaston.

Allen won the opening frame of the game at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, but Woollaston fought back to make it 2-1 before the Antrim player reclaimed the lead with breaks of 100 and 135 to take the game 3-2.

The Englishman was level with the Englishman after receiving an 80 clearance, but the world number eight won in a nervy decider to win and meet with Aaron Hill from the Republic of Ireland in round three.

Hill has a three-time quarter-final place finish in the top 100 events, and he has taken the most breaks at the English Open and the Xi’an Grand Prix recently.

Aaron has a fantastic start to the season, according to the coach. He is beginning to show what I have been watching for a while, Allen reported to BBC Sport NI.

He has high self-assurance, and I’m certain he will want to replace me in Belfast.

It’s up to me to go out and stop him, he said. I need to go out there and play well because I believe he is going to have big things in the game.

Jordan Brown, a second Northern Ireland player, defeated Ashley Hugill by the same scoreline as his 4-0 victory over reigning champion Zhao Xintong in the opening round.

Shaun Murphy will face off in the next round of the 2021 Welsh Open champion, who has struggled for form recently.

“It’s just nice to feel like I’m doing something that shows people what I can do,” he said. Brown expressed his comfort with being out there.

“I’ve been having trouble with confidence since winning the Welsh Open,” I needed to think about.

Reflecting on those positive experiences teaches me that I am a good player and capable of doing better.

With a 4-2 victory over Elliot Slessor earlier in the day, this year’s British Open champion and Xi’an Grand Prix finalist Murphy advanced to round three.

Although there were no significant centuries, Murphy expressed his satisfaction that he had a chance to take it when.

I’m working hard between matches and tournaments to achieve some of my own personal objectives. Since there is still room for improvement, I’ll keep punching as long as I’m in the tournament.

It’s been nearly two decades since I last played in a one-table set-up here, but it’s not because I wanted to try.

“I’m eager to try to advance in the tournament.” I adore it in Belfast because of the people, the crowd, and the setting.

By defeating Martin O’Donnell 4-2, world number 15 Gary Wilson and four-time NI Open champion Judd Trump, and Si Jiahui from China whitewashed Stephen Maguire 4-0, the world number 15 made it possible for them to meet in the last-16.

Trump wants to win his first ranking event title since December’s UK Championship victory in the semi-finals.

After beating Mark Davis 4-1, Jack Lisowski, a 29-year veteran, defeated four-time world champion Mark SeIby 4-2. He will next face Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

Wu Yize, the defending champion, defeated He Guoqiang 4-2, with Ryan Day or Kyren Wilson as his next opponent.