Mark Selby Stunned by Louis Heathcote at Northern Ireland Open

Mark Selby Exits Northern Ireland Open After Defeat to Louis Heathcote

Mark Selby’s pursuit of a clean sweep across all four Home Nations events ended when the reigning UK and China Open champion suffered a 4-2 defeat to world number 67 Louis Heathcote on the opening day of the Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Selby opened the match strongly by claiming the first frame with a 54 break and doubling his advantage with a 70 clearance. However, Heathcote responded by compiling breaks of 64 and 59 to level the score at 2-2 before winning the match, mirroring his 4-3 win against Selby at the same stage of the tournament in 2024.

Upsets on the Opening Day in Belfast

World number 14 Xiao Guodong joined Selby on the opening-day casualty list, losing 4-3 to world number 72 Sam Craigie during the morning session at the £550,400 world ranking event. Craigie secured the win by taking the final two frames with the help of breaks of 129, 110, 64, and 82, extending Xiao’s losing streak on the circuit to five matches. Meanwhile, three-time ranking event winner Gary Wilson fell 4-3 to Polish cueist Mateusz Baranowski, who clinched the final two frames to advance to the last 32 for the second time in a world ranking tournament.

Jack Lisowski Begins Title Defense in Belfast

Reigning champion Jack Lisowski started his title defense positively on Sunday by defeating Huang Jiahao 4-1 at the Waterfront Hall. Lisowski advances to the round of 32 to face Anthony McGill, who defeated Stephen Maguire 4-1. In other matches, Matthew Selt overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Hossein Vafaei 4-3, setting up a second-round fixture against Louis Heathcote, while Thepchaiya Un-Nooh registered a 101 break in a 4-2 victory over Aaron Hill.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Northern Ireland Open

Who eliminated Mark Selby from the 2026 Northern Ireland Open?

World number 67 Louis Heathcote defeated Mark Selby 4-2 on the opening day of the tournament at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

What was the total prize fund for the world ranking event?

The tournament offered a total prize fund of £550,400.

Who will Louis Heathcote face in the next round?

Heathcote advances to the last 32 to play Matthew Selt, who recovered from 3-1 down to beat Hossein Vafaei 4-3 on Sunday.

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