Kyren Wilson and Mark Williams are just one win away from an all-champions Northern Ireland Open final after both stormed through their quarter-finals in Belfast on Friday. Wilson demolished Anthony McGill 6-1 at the Waterfront Hall, while Williams reeled off three straight centuries to beat David Gilbert 6-4 in the evening session.
Kyren Wilson vs Mark Williams NI Open semi-final race (Credits: BBC Sport)
Wilson, the world number nine and 2024 world champion, raced into a 4-0 lead against McGill with breaks of 77, 75 and 122. The Scot briefly stemmed the tide with a 66 in frame five, but the Englishman shut the door to reach his first ranking-event semi-final since March 2025.
Next up for Wilson is compatriot Sam Craigie, who reached only the second ranking semi-final of his career with a 6-2 win over Elliot Slessor. Slessor started brightly with an 82, but Craigie reeled off five frames on the spin to take control and seal a comfortable passage to the last four.
Williams’ century spree sinks Gilbert
David Gilbert looked in command against the 51-year-old Welshman, building a 3-1 lead with breaks of 62, 95 and 60. But after the pair split the next two frames, Mark Williams — the three-time world champion and 2017 NI Open winner — produced a devastating finish, compiling three consecutive centuries to win four frames in a row and close out a 6-4 victory.
Williams now faces a Welsh derby against Jak Jones, who is enjoying the season of his life. Jones has already lifted the British Open and Championship League titles this term, and he edged a late-night thriller against Scott Donaldson 6-5, a break of 84 in the decider proving the difference in Belfast.
Wilson and Williams on collision course
With both former Northern Ireland Open champions still standing on opposite sides of the draw, a dream final between the 2024 champion Wilson and the 2017 champion Williams is now just one match away. The semi-finals take place on Saturday — Wilson vs Craigie first, followed by the all-Welsh showdown of Williams vs Jones.
Also Read: Jordan Brown Out of Northern Ireland Open as Scott Donaldson Ends Six-Year Quarter-Final Wait
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.