O'Sullivan and Trump both lose 4-3 on day two of Northern Ireland Open in Belfast

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump both went out in the opening round of the Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Monday 19 October 2026. Each lost 4-3 in a deciding frame to a qualifier. O'Sullivan fell to Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Wai, and Trump lost to Martin O'Donnell.

It is the second day in a row that big names have gone out. Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, Xiao Guodong and Ali Carter all lost on the opening Sunday. The event is the second of four Home Nations Series tournaments in the 2026-27 season, and the winner takes home GBP 100,000.

O'Sullivan loses a deciding frame to world No. 110

O'Sullivan, 50 and a seven-time world champion, lost the first frame. He then won three in a row, with breaks of 56, 138 and 72, to lead 3-1.

Cheung then took over. He made breaks of 88 and 77 to level at 3-3, and added a break of 60 in the decider. O'Sullivan had first chance in that frame but missed a blue into the middle pocket.

Cheung is ranked 110th in the world and joined the professional tour in 2024. This was his first main-draw knockout win at a ranking event. Before it, his main-draw wins had come only in the Championship League. He called it the best moment of his career and said he had been nervous before the match.

The match was O'Sullivan's third tournament of the season. It was also his first match in the UK since his 13-12 second-round loss to John Higgins at the World Championship in Sheffield in April.

Trump beaten by O'Donnell

Trump, a former world No. 1, lost 4-3 to O'Donnell, who is ranked 56th. O'Donnell led three times by a single frame and Trump levelled each time. The Englishman could not do it a fourth time, as O'Donnell won the seventh frame.

According to TotallySnookered, it was O'Donnell's first win over Trump after eight defeats. The same report says Trump had won 43 of his previous 47 matches at this event.

Other seeds fall on Monday

Chris Wakelin lost 4-1 to Jamie Jones, who made breaks of 64, 65 and 63. Barry Hawkins went out 4-2 to Daniel Wells, whose best break was 106.

On Sunday, Selby lost 4-2 to qualifier Louis Heathcote and Robertson lost 4-1 to Ricky Walden. Defending champion Jack Lisowski won his opener 4-1 against Huang Jiahao. Lisowski beat Trump 9-8 in last year's final.

What happens next

The last 64 runs from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20 October. The last 32 is played on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October, and the last 16 follows on Thursday 22 October. Matches up to the last 16 are best of seven frames.

The quarter-finals are on Friday 23 October and the semi-finals on Saturday 24 October, both best of 11. The final is on Sunday 25 October, over 17 frames in two sessions. Belfast is seven hours behind Malaysia until the clocks change on the weekend, so an evening session there reaches Malaysian viewers after midnight. Check the official World Snooker Tour schedule for exact start times.

Key takeaways

• O'Sullivan lost 4-3 to world No. 110 Cheung Ka Wai after leading 3-1.
• Trump lost 4-3 to qualifier Martin O'Donnell, who had lost to him eight times before.
• Wakelin and Hawkins also went out on Monday, adding to the opening-day exits of Selby and Robertson.
• The tournament runs to a 17-frame final on Sunday 25 October.

FAQ

Q: Who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Northern Ireland Open?

Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Wai beat him 4-3 in the last 64 on Monday 19 October 2026. Cheung is a qualifier ranked 110th in the world.

Q: How did Judd Trump lose in Belfast?

He lost 4-3 to Martin O'Donnell in a deciding frame. O'Donnell led three times by one frame, and Trump drew level each time before losing the seventh.

Q: When is the Northern Ireland Open final?

The final is on Sunday 25 October 2026 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. It is best of 17 frames, played over two sessions.

Sources: Sky Sports, The42, TotallySnookered, World Snooker Tour