Northern Ireland Open: Kyren Wilson and Sam Craigie win quarter-finals to meet in Belfast semi

The first semi-final of the Northern Ireland Open is set. Kyren Wilson, the world No. 9, beat Anthony McGill 6-1 in Friday's afternoon session at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, and Sam Craigie, ranked 72nd, kept his surprise run going with a 6-2 win over Elliot Slessor. The two Englishmen meet on Saturday for a place in Sunday's final. The other half of the draw is settled on Friday evening, when Mark Williams plays David Gilbert and Jak Jones faces Scott Donaldson. Those matches start at 7pm UK time, which is 2am on Saturday in Malaysia.

Wilson in control against McGill

Wilson took charge early. McGill made a 52 in the first frame, but Wilson won it on the colours, potting the brown, blue and pink. He then made breaks of 77, 75 and a 122 century and went into the mid-session interval 4-0 up. McGill finally got on the board with a 66 in frame five. Wilson stretched his lead in the next frame, again on the colours after both men missed chances, and he closed out the match in the seventh. Wilson has now won seven matches in a row against McGill on the World Snooker Tour.

McGill had knocked out defending champion Jack Lisowski earlier in the week, so he arrived in form. Wilson gave him little room. The result puts Wilson into his first ranking semi-final for more than 18 months, according to the specialist site Totally Snookered. That is a long gap for a player who won the World Championship in 2024.

Craigie's run continues

Craigie is having the best week of his career in a ranking event. Slessor won the opening frame with a break of 80, but Craigie then took six of the next seven frames, with breaks of 50 and 66 along the way, to win 6-2. It is the second ranking semi-final of his career and his first under the one-table set-up at the Waterfront Hall. World Snooker Tour summed up the mood on social media: "Craigie's run continues!"

Craigie reached the last eight by beating Matthew Selt 4-2. Slessor had beaten Ricky Walden 4-1 in the last 16. A place in Sunday's final would be the biggest result of his career.

The evening quarter-finals

Two more quarter-finals are on Friday night in Belfast. Mark Williams, the three-time world champion, plays David Gilbert. Williams beat Martin O'Donnell 4-0 in the last 16, and Gilbert beat Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Wai 4-2. In the other match, Jak Jones plays Scott Donaldson. Donaldson ended home hope Jordan Brown's run with a 4-2 win in the last 16, while Jones beat Daniel Wells.

Both evening matches begin at 7pm UK time (2am Saturday in Malaysia). The winners meet in Saturday's second semi-final.

What's at stake

The Northern Ireland Open is the second of four Home Nations events this season, after the English Open and before the Scottish Open. The champion lifts the Alex Higgins Trophy and takes home £100,000. The final is on Sunday 25 October. The UK clocks go back that morning, so the published 1pm UK start for the first session of the final is 9pm on Sunday in Malaysia.

Key takeaways

• Kyren Wilson beat Anthony McGill 6-1, with breaks of 77, 75 and 122, and made his first ranking semi-final in over 18 months.
• World No. 72 Sam Craigie beat Elliot Slessor 6-2 to reach the second ranking semi-final of his career.
• Wilson and Craigie meet in Saturday's first semi-final in Belfast.
• Mark Williams v David Gilbert and Jak Jones v Scott Donaldson start at 2am Saturday, Malaysia time.
• The winner gets the Alex Higgins Trophy and £100,000.

FAQ

Who won the Northern Ireland Open quarter-finals on Friday afternoon? Kyren Wilson beat Anthony McGill 6-1 and Sam Craigie beat Elliot Slessor 6-2. Wilson and Craigie play each other in the semi-finals on Saturday.

When are the other Northern Ireland Open quarter-finals in Malaysia time? Mark Williams v David Gilbert and Jak Jones v Scott Donaldson start at 7pm UK time on Friday, which is 2am on Saturday in Malaysia.

How much does the Northern Ireland Open winner receive? The champion receives £100,000 and the Alex Higgins Trophy. The final is played over two sessions on Sunday 25 October at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Sources: Totally Snookered, TNT Sports, snooker.org, The Scotsman, Wikipedia