Northern Ireland Open snooker: Donaldson ends Jordan Brown's home run as quarter-final line-up is set

Northern Ireland's last hope at its home ranking event is out. Scotland's Scott Donaldson beat Jordan Brown 4-2 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in the early hours of Friday to reach his first ranking quarter-final since 2020. Former champions Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams, two-time winner this season Jak Jones and in-form Anthony McGill also reached the last eight of the Northern Ireland Open.

Brown's run ends after midnight

Brown had already beaten Michael Holt 4-3, making two centuries, to reach the last 16. Against Donaldson he fell 3-1 behind, won the fifth frame and then lost the sixth. The Irish News noted that Brown has had a hard year, including the loss of his mother and pressure to keep his tour card. After his exit he spoke warmly about his friend and club-mate Mark Allen, whom he had beaten in the first round.

In the other late match, Jak Jones held off a fightback from fellow Welshman Daniel Wells to win 4-2. Jones has already won two ranking titles this season and has qualified for next month's Champion of Champions.

Wilson, Williams and Gilbert advance

Kyren Wilson, who won this title in 2024, needed a deciding frame to beat China's Pang Junxu 4-3. Mark Williams, the 2017 champion, beat Martin O'Donnell 4-0 with breaks of 58 and 127. O'Donnell had knocked out four-time winner Judd Trump in round one.

David Gilbert, runner-up in this season's Championship League, beat Hong Kong's Cheung Ka Wai 4-2. Cheung's first run to the last 16 of a ranking event included a 4-3 win over Ronnie O'Sullivan and a 4-0 win over Stuart Bingham.

McGill, who beat defending champion Jack Lisowski in round two, beat Poland's Mateusz Baranowski 4-1. Sam Craigie beat Matthew Selt 4-2 and Elliot Slessor beat Ricky Walden 4-1.

Quarter-finals in Malaysia time

The quarter-finals are on Friday 23 October and are best of 11 frames:

• Anthony McGill v Kyren Wilson and Sam Craigie v Elliot Slessor: 1pm in Belfast, 8pm in Malaysia
• David Gilbert v Mark Williams and Jak Jones v Scott Donaldson: 7pm in Belfast, 2am on Saturday in Malaysia

The semi-finals are on Saturday and are also best of 11. The final is best of 17 frames over two sessions on Sunday 25 October. The UK clocks go back that morning, so the afternoon session starts at 1pm in Belfast (9pm in Malaysia) and the evening session at 7pm (3am on Monday in Malaysia). Astro Supersport is showing the event in Malaysia.

What is at stake

The winner takes £100,000 from a prize fund that pays £45,000 to the runner-up. The winner also earns a place at the Champion of Champions in Leicester next month. Wilson and Jones have already qualified for that event. SnookerHQ noted that eight of the last 16 had never won a ranking event, and several of the quarter-finalists are still chasing a first ranking title.

Key takeaways

• Scott Donaldson beat Jordan Brown 4-2, so no Northern Irish player is left in the draw.
• Kyren Wilson won a deciding frame against Pang Junxu, and Mark Williams beat Martin O'Donnell 4-0 with a 127 break.
• Jak Jones beat Daniel Wells 4-2 and is chasing a third ranking title this season.
• Friday's quarter-finals start at 8pm and 2am Malaysia time and are best of 11 frames.
• The champion wins £100,000 and a place at the Champion of Champions.

FAQ

Who is left in the 2026 Northern Ireland Open? The quarter-finalists are Anthony McGill, Kyren Wilson, Sam Craigie, Elliot Slessor, David Gilbert, Mark Williams, Jak Jones and Scott Donaldson.

Where can I watch the Northern Ireland Open in Malaysia? Astro Supersport is showing the tournament in Malaysia. WST Play streams it in territories without a local broadcaster.

When is the Northern Ireland Open final? The final is on Sunday 25 October at the Waterfront Hall and is best of 17 frames. It starts at 9pm Malaysia time, and the evening session runs into the early hours of Monday.

Sources: snooker.org, Yahoo Sports, The Irish News, SnookerHQ, World Snooker Tour