Northern Ireland Open produces bizarre last 16 line-up: ‘Everyone feels it’s an opportunity’

The underdogs have been having their days in Belfast this week and it has left us with a very unusual last 16 line-up at the Northern Ireland Open.

With matches played over a best-of-seven format, early upsets are no great surprise, but the volume of favourites falling has been very unusual.

We reach the last 16 stage and just two of the top 16 in the world rankings are still standing: Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams.

In fact, it’s only two of the world’s top 21 as Elliot Slessor at #22 is next highest-ranked player left in the field after Williams.

It was not like big names have skipped this event either, but Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and John Higgins were all among the early casualties.

There are also a couple of real outsiders still swinging in Belfast, with world number 110 Cheung Ka Wai still going strong after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan and whitewashing Stuart Bingham. Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski, ranked #84, is also having a dreamy week after downing Gary Wilson and Wang Xinbo.

Dave Gilbert, a two-time Crucible semi-finalist, is one of the less surprising names left at this stage and says everyone still in the tournament will recognise the opportunity ahead of them.

‘I should be out of the tournament – who knows this could be my week,’ the Angry Farmer said after edging Gao Yang 4-3.

‘I imagine everyone feels it’s an opportunity. But the likes of Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams are definitely still favourites.’

Williams beat Zhang Anda to reach this stage and hailed the quality on show throughout the tour, pointing out that tiered draws mean top players are not as heavy favourites in their early games as they once were.

‘The top 16 can’t get easy draws any more,’ said the 51-year-old. ‘Everyone you play has won a few matches and they are really good players.’

It is true that the strength in depth is extremely good, as it is very unusual to have just two of the world’s top 21 left in the draw, but eight of the remaining players have won ranking titles before.

The three-time world champion is in with a chance of landing a 28th ranking title this week, facing Martin O’Donnell in the last 16 in an event he won back in 2017.

The Welshman was not onboard with the suggestion he could take anything from that win nine years ago though.

‘It’s nonsense, how can you draw on a win you’ve had eight or nine years ago? It’s impossible,’ he told TNT Sports.

Always downplaying his chances, Williams is not claiming to be relishing the opportunity to break his own record of oldest ranking event winner.

‘Relish is not the word for me,’ he said. ‘I just turn up and try my best, more than likely lose and go home. Sometimes I have a good run and I’m still there.

‘I’m at the stage now where I don’t really expect to win tournaments or get to the latter stages, but every now and again I do. Brentwood [English Open] I got to the final.

‘Just enjoy it. The more practice I get in at the venues, then If I can win a couple of games I start to play a bit better. I either get to the last 16 or quarters, or I’m out first round, that’s the way it is.’

Having won two tournaments already this season – the Championship League and British Open – Jak Jones will be fancied by many to make it an incredible hat-trick.

The Welshman had never won a ranking title before this campaign, but has every chance of making it three in just over three months.

‘This season has changed my life, I feel like a tournament winner with a lot more belief,’ said the 33-year-old. ‘I had always thought I could win them but actually doing it makes all the difference.’

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