2016 Northern Ireland Open

The 2016 Northern Ireland Open (officially the 2016 Coral Northern Ireland Open) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 14 and 20 November 2016 at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.^[1] It was the ninth ranking event of the 2016/2017 season.^[2]

2016 Coral Northern Ireland Open

Tournament information
Dates	14–20 November 2016 (2016-11-14 – 2016-11-20)
Venue	Titanic Exhibition Centre
City	Belfast
Country	Northern Ireland
Organisation	World Snooker
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£366,000^[1]
Winner's share	£70,000
Highest break	John Higgins (SCO) (147)
Final
Champion	Mark King (ENG)
Runner-up	Barry Hawkins (ENG)
Score	9–8
← First 2017 →

This was the inaugural Northern Ireland Open event, being held as part of a new Home Nations Series introduced in the 2016/2017 season with the existing Welsh Open and new English Open and Scottish Open tournaments.^[3][4] The winner of the Northern Ireland Open is awarded the Alex Higgins Trophy which is named in honour of Northern Irish two-time world champion Alex Higgins.^[5]

Mark King won the first ranking title of his career by defeating Barry Hawkins 9–8 in the final.^[6][7]

John Higgins made the 123rd official maximum break in the fifth frame of his last 64 match against Sam Craigie. It was Higgins' eighth professional maximum.^[8]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:^[9]

Winner: £70,000 Runner-up: £30,000 Semi-final: £20,000 Quarter-final: £10,000 Last 16: £6,000 Last 32: £3,500 Last 64: £2,500

Highest break: £2,000 Total: £366,000

The "rolling 147 prize" for a maximum break stood at £10,000.

Main draw

^{[10][11][12][13]}

Top half

Section 1

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Judd Trump (1)	w/d
	Peter Ebdon	w/o
					Peter Ebdon	4
					Adam Duffy	3
	Michael Wild	2
	Adam Duffy	4
									Peter Ebdon	2
									Scott Donaldson	4
	Kurt Dunham	4
	Christopher Keogan	2
					Kurt Dunham	3
					Scott Donaldson	4
	Robert Milkins	1
	Scott Donaldson	4
													Scott Donaldson	2
													Hossein Vafaei	4
	Stephen Maguire (16)	3
	Alan McManus	4
					Alan McManus	0
					Sanderson Lam	4
	Wang Yuchen	1
	Sanderson Lam	4
									Sanderson Lam	1
									Hossein Vafaei	4
	Zak Surety	4
	Darryl Hill	3
					Zak Surety	2
					Hossein Vafaei	4
	Hossein Vafaei	4
	Rod Lawler	3

Section 2

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Zhang Yong	2
	Kurt Maflin	4
					Kurt Maflin	4
					Alex Borg	1
	Alex Borg	4
	Dechawat Poomjaeng	2
									Kurt Maflin	4
									Josh Boileau	1
	Mike Dunn	3
	Josh Boileau	4
					Josh Boileau	4
					Hamza Akbar	2
	Ali Carter (9)	w/d
	Hamza Akbar	w/o
													Kurt Maflin	2
													Mark King	4
	Fergal O'Brien	4
	Tian Pengfei	2
					Fergal O'Brien	4
					Mitchell Mann	0
	Thor Chuan Leong	1
	Mitchell Mann	4
									Fergal O'Brien	0
									Mark King	4
	Mark King	4
	Igor Figueiredo	1
					Mark King	4
					Liang Wenbo (8)	2
	Liang Wenbo (8)	4
	Nigel Bond	1

Section 3

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)	4
	David John	1
					Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)	4
					Jimmy White	1
	Gareth Allen	2
	Jimmy White	4
									Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)	4
									Zhang Anda	0
	Zhang Anda	4
	Ian Preece	0
					Zhang Anda	4
					Chris Wakelin	3
	Chris Wakelin	4
	James Wattana	1
													Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)	3
													Kyren Wilson (12)	4
	Kyren Wilson (12)	4
	Hammad Miah	2
					Kyren Wilson (12)	4
					Jordan Brown	2
	Jordan Brown	4
	Ben Woollaston	2
									Kyren Wilson (12)	4
									Sunny Akani	2
	Cao Yupeng	1
	Sunny Akani	4
					Sunny Akani	4
					Mark Davis	3
	Mark Davis	4
	Jason Weston	0

Section 4

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Matthew Selt	2
	Jamie Curtis-Barrett	4
					Jamie Curtis-Barrett	1
					David Gilbert	4
	Zhao Xintong	1
	David Gilbert	4
									David Gilbert	2
									Mark Williams (13)	4
	Craig Steadman	4
	Alfie Burden	1
					Craig Steadman	0
					Mark Williams (13)	4
	Mark Williams (13)	4
	David Grace	2
													Mark Williams (13)	4
													John Higgins (4)	1
	Zhou Yuelong	4
	Matthew Stevens	3
					Zhou Yuelong	4
					Allan Taylor	0
	Allan Taylor	4
	Li Hang	2
									Zhou Yuelong	0
									John Higgins (4)	4
	Sam Craigie	4
	Jamie Jones	0
					Sam Craigie	1
					John Higgins (4)	4
	John Higgins (4)	4
	Paul Davison	0

Bottom half

Section 5

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Shaun Murphy (3)	0
	Luca Brecel	4
					Luca Brecel	4
					Jamie Cope	2
	Adam Stefanow	2
	Jamie Cope	4
									Luca Brecel	1
									Michael White	4
	Graeme Dott	0
	Michael White	4
					Michael White	4
					Chen Zhe	3
	Chen Zhe	4
	Ross Muir	1
													Michael White	4
													Dominic Dale	2
	Ricky Walden (14)	4
	Sean O'Sullivan	2
					Ricky Walden (14)	4
					Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn	3
	Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn	4
	Rory McLeod	2
									Ricky Walden (14)	2
									Dominic Dale	4
	Tom Ford	4
	Ian Burns	2
					Tom Ford	0
					Dominic Dale	4
	Dominic Dale	4
	Joe Swail	2

Section 6

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Mei Xiwen	1
	Duane Jones	4
					Duane Jones	0
					Fraser Patrick	4
	Fraser Patrick	4
	Marc Davis	1
									Fraser Patrick	0
									Barry Hawkins (11)	4
	Stuart Carrington	3
	Michael Holt	4
					Michael Holt	1
					Barry Hawkins (11)	4
	Barry Hawkins (11)	4
	Martin O'Donnell	0
													Barry Hawkins (11)	4
													Jack Lisowski	0
	Jack Lisowski	4
	David Lilley	3
					Jack Lisowski	4
					John Astley	1
	John Astley	4
	Xiao Guodong	3
									Jack Lisowski	4
									Joe Perry (6)	3
	Elliot Slessor	2
	Jimmy Robertson	4
					Jimmy Robertson	3
					Joe Perry (6)	4
	Joe Perry (6)	4
	Itaro Santos	0

Section 7

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Mark Allen (7)	4
	Mark Joyce	1
					Mark Allen (7)	4
					Michael Georgiou	2
	Michael Georgiou	4
	Patrick Wallace	2
									Mark Allen (7)	4
									Robin Hull	1
	Robin Hull	4
	James Cahill	2
					Robin Hull	4
					Lee Walker	2
	Lee Walker	4
	Rhys Clark	2
													Mark Allen (7)	4
													Gary Wilson	3
	Marco Fu (10)	4
	Ryan Day	3
					Marco Fu (10)	3
					Sam Baird	4
	Noppon Saengkham	3
	Sam Baird	4
									Sam Baird	3
									Gary Wilson	4
	Andrew Higginson	4
	Daniel Wells	1
					Andrew Higginson	3
					Gary Wilson	4
	Gary Wilson	4
	Peter Lines	0

Section 8

	Last 128 Best of 7 frames				Last 64 Best of 7 frames				Last 32 Best of 7 frames				Last 16 Best of 7 frames
	Ashley Hugill	0
	Ken Doherty	4
					Ken Doherty	3
					Anthony Hamilton	4
	Anthony Hamilton	4
	Boonyarit Keattikun	2
									Anthony Hamilton	4
									Anthony McGill (15)	2
	Aditya Mehta	4
	Sydney Wilson	2
					Aditya Mehta	3
					Anthony McGill (15)	4
	Anthony McGill (15)	4
	Fang Xiongman	2
													Anthony Hamilton	4
													Yan Bingtao	3
	Eden Sharav	4
	Oliver Lines	1
					Eden Sharav	0
					Yan Bingtao	4
	Steven Hallworth	1
	Yan Bingtao	4
									Yan Bingtao	4
									Robbie Williams	3
	Robbie Williams	4
	Thepchaiya Un-Nooh	2
					Robbie Williams	4
					Yu Delu	1
	Ding Junhui (2)	2
	Yu Delu	4

Finals

	Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames				Semi-finals Best of 11 frames				Final Best of 17 frames
	Hossein Vafaei	3
	Mark King	5
					Mark King	6
					Kyren Wilson (12)	2
	Kyren Wilson (12)	5
	Mark Williams (13)	4
									Mark King	9
									Barry Hawkins (11)	8
	Michael White	2
	Barry Hawkins (11)	5
					Barry Hawkins (11)	6
					Anthony Hamilton	5
	Mark Allen (7)	2
	Anthony Hamilton	5

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames. Referee: Terry Camilleri. Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 20 November 2016.^[11]^[12]^[13]
Mark King   England	9–8	Barry Hawkins (11)   England
Afternoon: 1–85 (85), 6–118 (113), 126–11 (110), 49–80, 1–60, 14–64, 66–18, 90–1 Evening: 95–5 (62), 101–13 (100), 83–1, 76–6 (54), 0–73 (73), 40–82 (76), 65–28, 65–72, 84–33
110	Highest break	113
2	Century breaks	1
4	50+ breaks	4

Century breaks

^[14]

147, 137, 130, 107 – John Higgins 142 – Fergal O'Brien 141, 133, 131, 126, 117, 108 – Ronnie O'Sullivan 139 – Mark Williams 138, 134, 124 – Anthony Hamilton 137, 130, 117, 104 – Michael White 133 – Dominic Dale 131 – Chen Zhe 130, 121 – Yan Bingtao 126, 117, 113 – Barry Hawkins 126 – Kurt Dunham 125, 108 – Rhys Clark 125 – Alfie Burden 125 – James Cahill 121 – David Gilbert 120 – Peter Ebdon 119, 112, 101 – Kurt Maflin 119 – Hossein Vafaei 118 – Marco Fu 118 – Alan McManus

117 – Luca Brecel 116, 109 – Ricky Walden 113, 109, 100 – Kyren Wilson 112 – Michael Georgiou 110, 100 – Mark King 110 – Anthony McGill 110 – Tom Ford 109 – Mark Allen 106 – Scott Donaldson 106 – Sam Baird 104 – Sam Craigie 104 – Yu Delu 103 – Jamie Curtis-Barrett 102 – Jordan Brown 102 – Ken Doherty 102 – Liang Wenbo 101 – Robbie Williams 102 – Stephen Maguire 100 – Jack Lisowski 100 – Eden Sharav

References

1. "Coral Northern Ireland Open 2016". World Snooker. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
2. "Calendar 2016/2017". Snooker.org. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
3. "World Championship: Snooker tour to be revamped in 2016". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
4. "Hearn Announces New Five Year Plan". World Snooker. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
5. "Alex Higgins: NI trophy named after two-time world champion". BBC Sport. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
6. "Northern Ireland Open: Mark King ends 25-year wait for ranking title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
7. "King Crowned in Belfast". World Snooker. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
8. . World Snooker. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
9. (PDF). World Snooker. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
10. "Northern Ireland Open Draw" (PDF). World Snooker. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
11. "Northern Ireland Open Format" (PDF). World Snooker. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
12. "Coral Northern Ireland Open Results". Snooker.org. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
13. . World Snooker. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
14. . World Snooker. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)