NI Open champion Jack Lisowski calls Belfast glory 'best week of my life' ahead of Waterfront return

​The 35-year-old walked away with a string of memories, The Alex Higgins Trophy silverware and substanial winner’s cheque.

He returns tomorrow to The Waterfront Hall to open the 2026 bid for glory against Huang Jiahao, with play set to wrap up on October 25.

One welcome name on show will be Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen making a welcome return to the green baize and with an early tussle on Tuesday afternoon against another popular home player in Jordan Brown.

Other star competitors in the field include Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong, Wu Yize, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams.

"It was the best week of my life," said Lisowski, who won off a 9-8 victory over Judd Trump. "I remember feeling really good all week and playing well...the final was just a crazy game.

"The crowd, when it’s so rowdy, it's like a boiling pot of pressure and it’s hard to just keep all your emotions under control.

"To play snooker in an atmosphere like that is such an incredible feeling.

"It probably has changed me as a person. It was such a big thing in my life.

"Every single interview for five years, pretty much, they’d say, when are you going to win one? It probably was getting me down.

"But something special happened that night in Belfast. I was the underdog and the support we both had was amazing.

"In the end it was probably the crowd that won it for me.

"I think every single player messaged me and that meant so much.”

Tickets available via wst.tv from £16.50.