Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski will contest the 2025 Northern Ireland Open final on Sunday at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Trump booked his spot in the title-deciding contest for the sixth time in eight years with a 6-3 victory over home favourite Mark Allen on Saturday.
Earlier in the first semi-final, Lisowski produced a cracking performance to thump Zhou Yuelong 6-1 with the aid of three century breaks.
It takes the 34 year-old from Cheltenham through to a seventh career ranking final as he edges ever closer once again to finally capturing his long overdue maiden title.
In three out of the previous six finals that he has lost, Trump has been the opponent to stop him and there’s every chance that outcome could materialise again here.
The latter has struggled for top form this season and was even ranked outside the top 32 on the one-year ranking list at the start of the week.
But a visit to Belfast has come at just the right time, with the city and venue arguably representing Trump’s happiest stomping ground.
A record four-time winner of the Alex Higgins Trophy, the world number one will look to immediately make up for his defeat to Kyren Wilson in last year’s final.
Trump is chasing a 31st career ranking title but, somewhat surprisingly, a first in 2025 with his last piece of silverware being awarded back at the UK Championship.
That reflects a rather long barren spell for Trump, but there isn’t anyone in the game who has endured a more taxing wait for a trophy than his close friend, Lisowski.
Widely regarded as the best player never to have won a ranking tournament, Lisowski has come close on numerous occasions in the past without being able to get over the winning line.
His talent has never been questioned – in fact, he is regarded as one of the most naturally gifted of all time – but a lacking temperament has often resulted in disappointing displays and results.
The signs, however, from his recent work with renowned coach Chris Henry are positive, with standout victories over Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson to extract confidence from in this week’s event.
Trump won the Northern Ireland Open in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023. Photo credit: WST
Regardless of that, Trump will of course begin the 2025 Northern Ireland Open final as the favourite.
The 36 year-old has won 16 out of the 24 matches that he has contested with Lisowski over the years on the World Snooker Tour, which includes memories of those victories in finals.
More worrying for Lisowski fans is the fact that he hasn’t been able to beat Trump in a meaningful encounter since the 2018 International Championship.
It’s obvious in most final showdowns but even more so here that it’s vital for Lisowski to get off to a good start, otherwise Trump could just run away with it like how he did in all three of their previous finals.
If both can produce their best levels of attacking form, though, it promises to be a special occasion.
The 2025 Northern Ireland Open final will be played over 17 frames and two sessions starting at 1pm and 7pm UTC (GMT).
2025 Northern Ireland Open Draw
Round of 32 (bo7)
Kyren Wilson 4-1 Ryan Day
Wu Yize 2-4 He Guoqiang
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-1 Mark Davis
Jack Lisowski 4-2 Mark Selby
Long Zehuang 2-4 Yuan Sijun
Chris Wakelin 1-4 Tom Ford
Jimmy Robertson 3-4 Ali Carter
Zhou Yuelong 4-2 David Grace
Judd Trump 4-2 Jackson Page
Gary Wilson 4-2 Martin O’Donnell
Stephen Maguire 0-4 Si Jiahui
Pang Junxu 3-4 John Higgins
Barry Hawkins 3-4 Aaron Hill
Mark Allen 4-3 Ben Woollaston
Elliot Slessor 2-4 Shaun Murphy
Ashley Hugill 0-4 Jordan Brown
Round of 16 (bo7)
Kyren Wilson 4-2 He Guoqiang
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-4 Jack Lisowski
Yuan Sijun 2-4 Tom Ford
Zhou Yuelong w/o Ali Carter
Judd Trump 4-1 Gary Wilson
Si Jiahui 1-4 John Higgins
Aaron Hill 1-4 Mark Allen
Shaun Murphy 2-4 Jordan Brown
Quarter-Finals (bo9)
Kyren Wilson 3-5 Jack Lisowski
Tom Ford 4-5 Zhou Yuelong
Judd Trump 5-2 John Higgins
Mark Allen 5-2 Jordan Brown
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Jack Lisowski 6-1 Zhou Yuelong
Judd Trump 6-3 Mark Allen
Final (bo17)
Jack Lisowski vs Judd Trump
(Sunday, 1pm and 7pm UTC)
Click here for the updated draw and results (snooker.org)
Featured photo credit: WST