Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Selby top bill on day 1 in star-studded Northern Ireland Open draw

World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will be among the big names on action on day one aiming to take the Northern Ireland Open crown from Mark Allen when a star-studded line-up takes to the tables in Belfast next month. The top 16 players in the world will feature in a 70-player field at the Waterfront Hall in the Northern Irish capital from October 16 to 23, in the first of the season’s Home Nations Series. Ad Belfast native Allen claimed the Alex Higgins Trophy on home turf last year, defeating John Higgins 9-8 in a close final.

SnookerMatch-fixing allegations sees player charged and suspended by snooker authoritiesA DAY AGO The world No. 14 will get his title defence underway against Chang Bingyu, with it being the final match on the opening nigth. O’Sullivan starts against Lukas Kleckers, while world No.

2 Judd Trump is up against Rod Lawler. Mark Selby, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson and last year’s runner-up Higgins will also be in action on the opening day. When does world champion O'Sullivan return to action at a ranking event? Match-fixing allegations sees player charged and suspended by snooker authorities Six Red World Championship cancelled amid Allen 'frustrating' blast A wildcard has been handed to 14-year-old local talent Joe Connolly, who faces fellow teenager Robbie McGuigan, four years his elder and the Northern Ireland amateur champion.

The first four rounds will take place from October 16 to 20, before the business end of the Open takes place over the weekend. The quarter-finals are set for Friday 21 October, with the semi-finals the following day and the showpiece final on Sunday, October 23. The Northern Ireland Open is the fourth ranking event of the 2022/23 season and offers a prize pot of £422,000,