Jordan Brown says Northern Ireland Open game against struggling Mark Allen 'easiest the hardest match I've ever had to deal with'

In an opening round match featuring the only two home soil cueists in this year’s main draw, Brown defeated Allen, 4-2, on Tuesday afternoon at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

From 2-2 - and back-to-back frames decided on the final black ball - former Welsh Open champion Brown found some fluency as breaks of 53 and 80 helped him set up a last 32 meeting with Michael Holt in the £550,400 world ranking tournament.

The match saw the return of Allen to professional competition, 171 days from his last top-flight outing where he agonisingly lost 17-16 to Wu Yize in the semi-finals of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.

Since then, 12-time ranking event winner Allen had not featured at all during this 2026/27 snooker season, withdrawing from several big competitions due to personal reasons.

In an emotional post-match interview with TNT Sports, a distressed Allen said he is “just trying to survive” and seriously contemplating retirement from the sport having gone full circle with his first match as a professional coming in 2005 at the same Waterfront Hall venue.

Just moments after Allen had been speaking to presenter Rachel Casey, Brown took up the microphone to talk about his good pal, practise partner and fellow Antrim cueist.

“Easily the hardest match I’ve ever had to deal with” said the 39-year-old. “Even though Mark’s going through it, I feel like I’m going through it with him.

“We’re all behind him first and foremost. Great to see Mark back playing.”

Currently ranked 65th in the world rankings, Brown - who had to navigate a qualifying match held in England a few weeks ago to reach these televised stages - is battling to keep his professional tour card at the end of this season.

Brown is also dealing with trauma away from the table after the death of his mother, who had been in a care home for three years with dementia, in early August.

With his own issues and caring about the welfare of one of his best mates, Brown said his latest tie with Allen is something he doesn’t wish to experience again.

“I’ve missed him, I love him. Just a great guy, through and through. But as hard as it was, I still had to concentrate on what I had to do today, that’s what we’re here to do, we’re here to play snooker. In a selfish way I had to block all the distractions out.

“I’ve got such great support. I’m not going through the easiest of times myself. I’m trying to fight tour survival and trying to get my game together, and that’s what I had to focus on today as hard as it was, but, you know, I never want to go through something like that again.”

Later at the Waterfront, Brown talked to BBC Sport Northern Ireland about how it was his “least satisfying” victory, ever, despite it being his first victory over Allen in professional competition. The two met on this stage in last year’s quarter-finals where former world number one Allen progressed.

In response to his friend Allen’s comments about possible retirement, Brown said he really hopes he reconsiders, and believes that he will return to the green baize.

"The first words I said to him today was it was great to see him back and we had a big cuddle. It is tough to see him going through that.

"I have no doubt he will come back. Snooker is his love, he is absolutely brilliant and he is a top bloke, I wish him all the best."