The semi-finals of the Northern Ireland Open takes place inside the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Saturday when the four remaining men battle it out over the best of 11 frames for a spot in the final on Sunday.
We have two perennial winners of tournaments on show in one semi-final and in the other we have two players who have graced many finals without getting over the line so everything is in place for a dramatic day of snooker.
Afternoon Session
Jack Lisowski vs Zhou Yuelong
The opening semi-final of the two is the one which puts the two players who are yet to win a major title against each other when Jack Lisowski looks for a place in another final when he goes up against the English Open finalist from earlier in the campaign in Zhou Yuelong.
Yuelong is clearly playing well to have made one Home Nations final in the season and being a win away from another but he might have his work cut out to stop a Lisowski who has been in good form this week and has cruised past the challenges of the likes of Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson while he outgunned Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in an entertaining shootout too. Zhou had a bye in what would have been his hardest match in the last 16 when Ali Carter pulled out. He then came through a deciding frame against Tom Ford to book his place in this semi-final. I do think the Chinese player is going to need to up his game but you wouldn’t exactly call Lisowski a backable or reliable favourite. If you pushed me I would go with Lisowski to win this but the odds make this a no bet contest.
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Evening Session
Judd Trump vs Mark Allen
The marquee semi-final on Saturday is the one in the evening where the English Open winner Mark Allen looks to continue his unbeaten run in Home Nations events this season when the home star meets the world number one Judd Trump.
These two men have both lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy in the past but only one of them will be in with a chance of hoisting it again when this match has finished. Both these players look to have found some of their better snooker the longer the week has gone on. That won’t be a surprise to anyone. The longer the format the more the cream rises to the top and I would expect that to be the case here. Trump is fuelled by the motivation of having not won a title yet this season while Allen is looking to deliver on home soil and as we saw in the English Open he never knows when he is beaten in any situation. I think that gives us all the ingredients for a title semi-final and I don’t think anyone would be surprised were this one to go the distance. There is something in my gut that tells me that Allen is a value outsider here but I think the safer bet is for this one to contain over 9.5 frames. That requires a 6-4 or 6-5 score either way and I don’t see this being won any easier than that.
Tips
Back J.Trump vs M.Allen – Over 9.5 frames for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with William Hill
Back him here:
