Wilson Reigns Supreme In Belfast

Kyren Wilson ended a drought of 19 months without a ranking title as he thrashed Jak Jones 9-2 in the final of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, winning the event for a second time. 

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Wilson built a 6-2 lead in the opening session, making three century breaks, and needed just 45 minutes of the evening conclusion to secure the crown at the Waterfront Hall, lifting the Alex Higgins Trophy and pocketing the top prize of £100,000.

After beating Jones in the World Championship two years ago, Wilson enjoyed a prolific 2024/25 season, winning a further four ranking titles, the last of those coming at the Players Championship in 2025. Since then he has had to contend with a variety of problems including his favourite cue being accidentally snapped, health problems for his wife Sophie and their family home being burgled. What has never changed is his relentless determination and resilient mindset, and the 34-year-old from Kettering now has his reward with a return to the winner’s podium.

Though he won prestigious invitation titles last season at the Shanghai Masters and the Masters, his form in ranking events had been so patchy that he slipped to 23rd in the race to the Crucible next Spring and – unthinkably – had to contemplate the prospect of playing in the qualifying rounds. This week’s triumph boosts him into the top 16 and on track for an automatic place at the Theatre of Dreams.

Wilson’s career tally of ranking titles moves to 11, putting him 12th outright on the all-time list, one ahead of Jimmy White. Having conquered Belfast in 2024, he joins Judd Trump and Mark Allen as the only players to win this event on multiple occasions. Remaining ninth in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, the Englishman leaps from 17th to fifth on the one-year list and is on course to qualify for all three events in the 2027 Players Series.

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He’s also the new front-runner for the £150,000 BetVictor Home Nations bonus, with the leading money-winner across the four events to bank the extra windfall. With tournaments in Scotland and Wales to come, Wilson leads Ali Carter by £13,200.

Jones is enjoying an extraordinary breakthrough season, as he had never previously won a trophy since turning pro in 2010 but landed the Championship League in July and British Open in September. Victory today would have set a new record for the shortest time in which a player has won their first three ranking titles, surpassing John Higgins who achieved that feat in a six-month spell in 1994/95.

Cwmbran’s 33-year-old Jones earns £45,000 and climbs from 24th to 18th in the world, and another run at the upcoming International Championship could secure a top 16 seeding for both the UK Championship and the Masters.

After a fine display in the first session, Wilson had first chance in the opening frame tonight and made 44 before accidentally knocking the black in when potting a red, but he soon got back in by drilling a long range red into a top corner and adding the points he needed to go five clear. In the next he under-cut a tricky black to a top corner on 34, but soon got back in and added 45 to go 8-2 ahead.

Jones had an early chance in frame 11 but made just 6 before missing a routine black off its spot – summing up his day. Wilson finished in style with a break of 75 to complete a seventh win in eight meetings with Jones.

“It’s a great honour to win the Alex Higgins Trophy,” said Wilson, who came so close to defeat against Sam Craigie in the semi-finals yesterday before today’s one-sided contest. “Obviously, he was a legend of our game and somebody I looked up to, watching back on the archives. To take it home for a second time is an incredible feeling. It’s given me a little bit of a boost up the rankings, so I’m buzzing to win.

“So many top players went out early in the tournament, and I think that puts a bit of pressure on you to deliver. You want to do it for the fans who come to watch you play snooker and support you in particular, and you’re aware of that. I’m pleased I’ve managed to produce good, consistent, heavy-scoring snooker. It’s a good confidence booster for what’s to come.

“The way the tour works nowadays, winning a ranking title boosts you up into the World Grand Prix, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship. To not have a chance of defending my Players Championship title last season was a real blow, sitting at home watching that. Hopefully this has given me a good stepping stone into those tournaments this season. You’ve got to ride the crest of the wave while you can.

“To overtake Jimmy White’s total of ranking titles is amazing because he was a hero of mine. I loved watching him play and he’s like the godfather of snooker in my eyes. He’s such an iconic figure in snooker.”

Jones said: “I should be pleased with getting to the final, with how I’ve played all week. I haven’t felt comfortable, but I’ve just battled through. Kyren has played really well all week, so he thoroughly deserves it. I didn’t feel very good at all today. I was hoping something might happen to give me a bit of a spur, but I didn’t have it. I was cueing absolutely around corners all day, and the more you miss, the harder it gets. All of the misses I made, Kyren punished me every time.

“There are positives, I suppose, but I need to start playing a lot better than I am. That’s the main thing, because it’s okay winning, but I don’t really like winning when I’m not playing anywhere near my best. I’ve got a lot to work on to get up to the standard of Kyren and the other top players. I’ll fly home in the morning and then go to China on Wednesday. It would be good if I could have a bit of a run there and get into the top 16.”

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