How to watch Northern Open snooker 2022, draw, schedule and live stream with Ronnie O’Sullivan in action

The snooker season is about to get very busy with the first of the Home Nations tournaments, the Northern Ireland Open, starting on Sunday.

Mark Allen is the defending champion after he beat John Higgins in one of the matches of the season in a deciding frame.

Neil Robertson makes his ranking event return after missing the Championship League, European Masters and British Open.

When is the Northern Ireland Open 2022? And where?

The Northern Ireland Open will be held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast from October 16 to October 23.

The trophy is named the Alex Higgins Trophy, in honour of the popular two-time world champion.

How to watch the Northern Ireland Open 2022

Jimmy White, Alan McManus and Neal Foulds are among the pundits who will provide analysis before, during and after every match.

Who is playing?

All of the sport’s top players will be competing in Belfast, with the top 16 in the world, plus wildcard matches involving local players having their qualifying matches held over, to be played on the opening two days.

Stephen Hendry withdrew from the tournament and has been replaced by Zhao Jianbo.

Zhao Xintong, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Selby, Allen and O’Sullivan are among the big names who are in action on the first day of the tournament.

O’Sullivan plays Lukas Kleckers at 19:00 on Sunday and will be followed by Allen v Chang Bingyu, whilst Trump, Selby and Robertson feature in the best of the afternoon’s action.

What is the format for the Northern Ireland Open 2022?

As is the case for all of the Home Nations events, the matches will be best of seven frames up to and including the fourth round.

The quarter-finals will be best of nine frames, the semi-finals best of 11 frames and the final will be best of 17.

What is the Northern Ireland 2022 schedule? (UK time)

Sunday October 16 – Three sessions at 10:00, 13:00 and 19:00 – Held-over qualifying matches

Monday October 17 – Three sessions at 10:00, 13:00 and 19:00 – Held over qualifying matches and Round 2

Tuesday October 18 – Three sessions at 10:00, 13:00 and 19:00 – Round 2

Wednesday October 19 – Three sessions at 10:00, 13:00 and 19:00 – Round 2 and 3

Thursday October 20 – Three sessions at 10:00, 13:00 and 19:00 – Round 3 and 4

Friday October 21 – Two sessions at 12:00 and 19:00 – Two quarter-finals in the afternoon and two in the evening

Saturday October 22 – Semi-final 1 at 13:00 and Semi-final 2 at 19:00

Sunday October 23 – Final held across two sessions at 13:00 and 19:00

Northern Ireland Open draw in full

Held-over matches

Mark Allen v Chang Bingyu

Ricky Walden v v Xiao Guodong

Kyren Wilson v Ken Doherty

Mark Williams v Peter Lines

Neil Robertson v Fraser Patrick

Jack Lisowski v Li Hang

Barry Hawkins v Anthony Hamilton

Mark Selby v Reanne Evans

Judd Trump v Rod Lawler

Stuart Bingham v Allan Taylor

Zhou Yuelong v Joel Connolly or Robbie McGuigan

Shaun Murphy v Xu Si

John Higgins v Fergal O’Brien

Zhao Xintong v Lyu Haotian

Luca Brecel v Joe O’Connor

Yan Bingtao v Liang Wenbo

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Lukas Kleckers

Round two:

Allen/Bingyu v Chen Zifan

Andy Lee v Dylan Emery

Walden/Guodong v Mink Nutcharut

Hossein Vafaei v Craig Steadman

Zak Surety v Stephen Maguire

Sean O’Sullivan v Wilson/Doherty

Andy Hicks v Jimmy Robertson

Alexander Ursenbacher v Williams/Lines

Robertson/Patrick v Fan Zhengyi

Ben Woollaston v John J Astley

Liswoski/Hang v Si Jiahui

Jordan Brown v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

Michael White v Ding Junhui

Louis Heathcote v Hawkins/Hamilton

Hammad Miah v Lu Ning

Sam Craigie v Winner of Selby/Evans

Trump/Lawler v Aaron Hill

Tom Ford v Scott Donaldson

Bingham/Taylor v David Lilley

David Gilbert v Noppon Saengkham

Dominic Dale v Yuelong/Connolly/McGuigan

Jamie Clarke v Murphy/Xi

Gerard Greene v Robert Milkins

Jackson Page v Higgins/O’Brien

Zhao/Lyu v Mark King

Joe Perry v Daniel Wells

Brecel/O’Connor v Jimmy White

Matthew Selt v Pang Junxu

Julien Leclercq v Anthony McGill

Elliot Slessor v Yan/Liang

Tian Pengfei v Martin Gould

David Grace v O’Sullivan/Kleckers