Northern Ireland Open 2023 snooker recap: Judd Trump to face Chris Wakelin in final after sinking Barry Hawkins in semis

We will be back at 12:50pm on Sunday for the final between Judd Trump and Chris Wakelin. First man to nine frames wins the Northern Ireland Open.

"I always fancy my chances," said Trump ahead of his chase for a third straight ranking event title. "As long as I get left in, I'll score heavy. He (Chris Wakelin) played better than me today. I'm going to have to be on top of my game to win the final."

"From 4-1, my timing went. I was lucky to be 3-0 up and I didn't play that well," said Hawkins on Eurosport. "I'm a bit disappointed, but I stopped getting through the cue ball. He put me under pressure. Fair play to him, he's on a bit of a roll."

A total clearance of 128 from Trump and he is through to the Northern Ireland Open final with a 6-4 win from 4-1 behind. He will face Chris Wakelin on Sunday afternoon. Wakelin completing a 6-1 win over Jack Lisowski earlier on Saturday.

Judd is heading through to the final. In goes the blue to spring open a few key reds and Barry won't be coming back to the table. Snooker's form man will chase a third straight ranking title against Chris Wakelin on Sunday.

Judd a bit short of pace in running around the angles off a black to the next red. Faced with a tough blue to yellow pocket.

That ninth frame is such a pivotal one you feel. Bazza can't drop in a long red and Trump has been presented with first scoring opportunity of this tenth frame. Will Hawkins get another chance?

A 31-minute frame in progress. Trump needing the brown, but the cross double stays out. Was worth the risk and Hawkins takes out the brown to land on the blue. Not the best shot from blue to pink after dropping blue in right middle. And he misses the pink with white near a side cush and sticks it up for Trump to hole. What a finish to that frame. Trump 5-4 ahead from 4-1 down.

Hawkins leaves the red over a top bag, but Judd is a bit too heavy with his touch in knocking in the red. Isn't on the black. But sticks his opponent in another snooker. Which Barry hits. 17 points the difference. 27 left up. Yellow dropped in by Judd. 19 ahead.

Real tension as Barry clips a blue instead of the red and that gives Judd the chance to move further ahead. 16 points clear on the final red.

Tough cut on a red prompts a few gasps in this audience. Wipes its feet before dropping and Barry can continue, but he then misses a fine cut on a red using the rest. So frame wide open with three reds left up.

Judd misses a blue to a right middle when it seemed set to advance his cause. Is that a turning point in this match? Big visit to the table here for the Hawk as this match was slipping away. Black tied up.

Is the Hawkins effort beginning to wilt? Certainly seems that way as he drops in a howler of a safety shot to present Judd with a glorious chance to get cracking in the ninth frame. Trump has really applied the pressure since trailing 4-1. So many shots available when he is in the mood.

Trump really showing his class as he finishes off another frame in style to level at 4-4. Hawkins made 75 to lead 4-1, but has produced only 10 points in the past three frames. Suddenly down to a best-of-three frame match.

Judd holding a decent lead before he opts against taking on a blue to right centre as he nudges a yellow safe on a side rail.

Trump with a superb cut on a red to gain access to the table. Really stayed down on the shot, but he loses position and is forced to run safe. Barry then sticks up another red seconds later. Mood of this match is changing as Trump bids to restore parity at 4-4.

At least Barry has ended his long run without potting a ball, but only six points straight off the bat.

The Belfast crowd loving this semi-final. Both players now finding real peak form in the chase for a final spot, but Hawkins hasn't potted a ball for half an hour.

Safety blunder by Barry trying to thread the white ball back to baulk and that should be that for this seventh frame. Trump just snaffling up these final few balls to win a second straight frame. It will be 4-3 in the race to six.

A break of 70 from Judd. Not quite over the winning line in the frame, but a very strong favourite to close the gap on Barry. Six reds left up.

Seven reds and blacks from Judd, who is ideally poised to move to within one frame of Hawkins in a semi-final that looks wide open.

Hawkins goes for a long red. Wasn't easy and he gets the double kiss which he didn't want as red stays out of the top pocket and sticks it up over the pocket. Another chance for Judd to get his head down and score some more.

This sixth frame is a done deal in favour of Trump. A few nice exhibition shots towards end of frame to show the Hawk that he is still in a positive frame of mind in this quarter-final. Hawk leads 4-2.

A fine break of 70. Rolled that knock in in around seven minutes. Five reds left up and Hawkins needs one of them. So worth coming back to the baize. Trump will look to spoil the table if he can.

Judd fighting the good fight in response. A long red drops before he quickly sets about tidying up this table. Looking to respond to Hawkins by producing a one-visit effort of his own.

Safety error by Trump is going to be heavily punished by Hawkins. Break moves to 74 before he nails a long red. Frame over and the Hawk within two frames of the Northern Ireland Open final. Break is finished at 75, but only 59 left up. Trump has seen enough. 4-1 to Hawkins.

Hawkins negotiates a tricky pot on black having to bridge over the red. That is a brilliant pot under pressure to extend his stay at the table. Closing in on a 4-1 lead in this quarter-final.

First safety error hands Hawkins chance to get his nose in front in the fifth frame of a possible 11. Red over top pocket drops to get him started.

Trump produces a glorious escape from a snooker deep in baulk as the players settle into a little mini battle for tactical supremacy. Not seen much of the strategy stuff, but both of these guys can mix it up. Some excellent safety being played.

And this stops the bleeding for the Juddernaut. Trump polishing off his first frame of the evening. A timely break of 90 as the final pink with rest fails to drop, but it is job done. He trails Hawkins 3-1 at the mid-session break.

Hawkins butchers a long red attempt. Well off the pot and almost flukes red to left middle, but nothing drops and he has left Trump right in among the balls. Has to take this chance you suspect.

A brilliant long red from Judd is drained early in the fourth frame. Not much else doing at this visit, but he at least produces a fine safety shot before Trump returns to his seat.

A tight frame falls to Hawkins for a 3-0 lead. Trump hitting the yellow from a tough spot, but it bounces off the baulk cushion before coming back down to the table to land perfectly on the yellow. Hawkins punishes by clearing to the black. And it is 3-0 in this quarter-final. Would you believe it? Trump can't.

Hawkins blows golden chance to clinch the frame after losing position from a stunning long red. Trump then flukes a red to right middle before running safe. Down to the final red in this frame before Trump unearths a stunning double. In goes black, but no position on the yellow.

But this frame remains alive and kicking after a red along the top cushion doesn't drop for Hawkins. Huge frame this in the context of the match.

Hawkins sees a pink come back out the right middle, but covers the next red for Trump. No doubt the running is going for the Hawk at the moment. But he is also playing really well as another brilliant cut on a red hits the mark to the right centre. The dominant force at the moment.

All sorts happening early in this third frame as Trump misses a tough cut to the blue, but Hawkins thumps a red off the table trying to pot it at pace. Trump with a fine cut on a red, but lands on nothing. Hawkins then cuts home a long red to regain access to the table.

Hawkins flukes a red to the left middle in trying to punch some reds down the baulk end of table. Can't pot the black to right middle, but Trump has seen enough. It is a 2-0 lead for Hawkins. A break of 58 does the trick.

Break moves swiftly to 51. Hawkins is certainly punching these balls home with some authority. The career head-to-heads locked at 8-8 between these two.

A few early misses in the second frame. Trump can't punish a poor Hawkins miss and the Hawk is back in business. Perhaps early nerves in the air, but Hawkins will be looking to piece together a hefty break at this visit.

The missed pink by Trump proving pivotal in that frame. An impressive start to the evening by the Hawk, who leads 1-0 in the race to six frames.

Looks for all the world like Barry is going to take the first frame of the evening in Belfast. Tough black from the side cushion, but he gets the angle spot on to drop it in and that leaves Trump needing two snookers after a break of 38.

Hawkins makes 30 before breaking down. Trump attempts a long red and watches as it misses to one pocket before racing along the top cushion to drop down the opposite bag. But a pink to right middle is high and Hawkins will return to the table.

The Hawk making a fast start to the night as he rolls in a long red, and he is up and running here. Out on the black and hand on table. Chance to compile a few points.

"He's quite a nice player to play because the balls are always tidy," says seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in discussing Barry Hawkins on Eurosport. "He always plays the right shot. He's one of the players who fancies he can beat Judd, and he isn't scared of Judd, so the crowd are in for a great game tonight."

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We will be back for more from the second semi-final between Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins at 7pm to see who faces Chris Wakelin in the Northern Ireland Open final. See you then.

"To go out there, and get off to a reasonably good start, it's the stuff dreams are made of," said Wakelin. "I was so focussed out there. I genuinely felt like I was going to get over the line comfortably. Obviously, everyone has made a big deal about the Shoot Out not carrying the credence it should, but you still have to pot the balls. I struggle to recall winning a match in that arena before this year. The crowd in there...its a fantastic place to play."

"I thought Chris played great today," said Lisowski. "I felt like I was trying to force it from the start, and my safety wasn't good enough either."

Two terrific pots by Chris to sink red and yellow to opposite centre pockets. Isn't interested in taking a step back. Wants to push on for victory here. And is on the brink of the semi-finals. Just needs red and black. In they go. And Chris sinks the red to finish off matters. Jackpot hasn't potted a ball in the last three frames. Complete lockdown. And he offers the handshake. A big reception from the Belfast crowd.

Well, Lisowski has thrown his cue at a plant. Reds splattered all over the table, but Wakelin cant cash in. Just a red and a black to follow when the match looked a done deal. Will Wakelin regret that error?

Superb long red from Chris Wakelin hits the back of the pocket and he is on the move again in this seventh frame. Lisowski has been played right out of this semi-final. Looks like one-way traffic unless there is a massive change. And is that it? 34 break before red just fails to drop across the table.

62 break to finish off the sixth frame after earlier breaks of 66, 71, 57 and 57. Lisowski hasn't registered a point since the fourth frame.

Needed one more red, but red to left middle doesn't drop. A lifeline for Lisowski, but red along the top cushion doesn't drop. Without a pot for 40 minutes. Red stays out and Wakelin will finish off the frame for a 5-1 lead. Wakelin has yet to beat Jackpot in three previous meetings, but that looks set to change.

Real quality break-building by the Shoot Out holder. Refusing to get overly excited, but he runs out of position on 46. Wakelin then comes up with a superb recovery pot on a red to extend his table time. Looks like this is going 5-1 here. Unless there is a massive malfunction.

Wakelin is first to the punch in this sixth frame as tricky red to right centre disappears. Certainly growing in confidence during this match as a tough yellow disappears to keep the break going.

Looks like Wakelin is moving three frames ahead. Lisowski struggling to get involved in this semi-final. So good yesterday, but contrasting fortunes today. Tried to escape from a snooker with an adventurous attempt, but nothing doing and leaves up the balls for Wakelin to finish with an excellent 71 clearance.

Brilliant shot by Chris to sink a red, gets right side of blue and opens up the pack of reds to bring the pink into play. This is excellent from Wakelin. Really is. Glorious chance here you would think to move 4-1 up. Has done the hard part in this break. All about cue ball control here. But he is then out of position leading 35-0 after pot on pink goes wrong. End of break.

Black has gone safe early in the fifth frame after Wakelin can't float in a red to a top pocket. Lisowski can't sink a mid-range red in response and Wakelin is presented with the first scoring chance of the frame. Albeit not great with the pink and black tied up.

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In goes the red from Wakelin to leave Lisowski needing a snooker. And he has seen enough of that frame. The concession comes. And it is 3-1 to the underdog at the mid-session break.

Looking very assured. And Wakelin will enjoy his cuppa at the mid-session if he can see out this frame. Was the outsider in this match, but is striking the ball well out there. He suddenly misses the pink to the left middle. "It look a formality the way he was knocking them in, but the frame is still live," says Neal Foulds in commentary.

Lisowski seeing a plant on reds stay out as he opened up the pack of reds with an audacious effort. Went at that full throttle, but remarkably doesn't leave anything easy for his opponent to attack. And Wakelin prefers to run safe than push the boat out. Decent safety from Jack, but in goes a long red from Wakelin before he drops in a brilliant black along the top cushion. That was a clutch pot, and suddenly is bang among the balls at the business end. Chance to push on for a 3-1 advantage.

And it is going to be a 2-1 lead for Wakelin in this match. Solid if unspectacular play from Wakelin is proving good enough so far. One more frame before the mid-session break.

Not exactly vintage one-visit snooker, but Wakelin doing enough to keep his nose in front out there. Jackpot needing two snookers otherwise he is going to trail 2-1 in this semi-final.

Can only further his cause to the total of 35 as a tough cut on a red to right middle eludes him, but Lisowski then sees a red along top cushion fail to drop. That was not an easy red to take on. Wakelin handed an immediate reprieve. Obvious opportunity to win this third frame for the Shoot Out champion.

Safety error by Wakelin seconds after he does well to knock the white safe using all sorts of furniture from under the table with black the only ball he could play. Jackpot presented with chance to get moving again, but not easy with black on the top cushion from the Wakelin safety shot. Tries to develop the black, but misses it along the top cushion. Wakelin with chance to score.

A delightful clearance of 61 from Jackpot to mop up the second frame. He is seeing those long reds so clearly. What a weapon to have to carve out chances from nothing.

Another blistering long red from Lisowski gives Jackpot another chance to close out this frame. What a pot that is. Never touched the sides. Wasn't easy from that baulk cushion.

Jackpot back among the balls after his opponent is short with a safety attempt in trying to get the white back to baulk. Lisowski looking to really crack on here with the black back on its spot. Lead moves to 44 and looks like another safety shot is coming up. Which he deliberates over. Before rolling up behind the black.

Jackpot with a thumping long red early in the second frame, but lands on side cush and can't slot a tough black. Wakelin misses thin cut on a red, but Lisowski is back at the table seconds later to bang home another long-range red seconds later.

Lisowski yet to settle in this match as Wakelin moves 70 points clear. Surely end of frame as Wakelin nudges home another red to finalise the destination of the frame. Decent 57 to get us started and Jackpot will be looking to improve the longer this match progresses.

No more than 57 from Wakelin as he breaks down when he appeared set to clear the table. Jackpot will be hoping for the chance of a counter attack as a safety joust ensues.

Lovely cannon on a red to remain on black. Developing these reds nicely off the pack of reds. Moves up to 36 without too much hassle. End up straight-ish on a blue to leave mid-range red. Which he pops in to land back on black. This is a very nice start from Wakelin.

Jackpot can't hole a long red and is unfortunate to see the white drop down the yellow pocket. Wakelin with chance to get his hand on table.

Lisowski gets the match off and running. Packed house at the Waterfront. First semi-final of a standard ranking event for Wakelin today with Lisowski appearing in the 12th of his career.

Welcome back to our live updates from the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast. It is semi-final Saturday with Jack Lisowski meeting Chris Wakelin this afternoon before Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins meet at 7pm tonight. Both matches are the best of 11 frames. First to six reaches the final on Sunday. Should be a fascinating day ahead. Boys on baize imminent.

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Catch up on all yesterday's action here.

The Northern Ireland Open will be held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from October 22 to October 29.

All matches are best-of-seven until the quarter-finals, which are the best-of-nine frames.

The semi-finals are best-of-11 frames, with the final a two-session, best-of-17 affair.

In the UK and the rest of Europe, you can watch all the action live on Eurosport and discovery+.

Eurosport.com is the destination for daily live blogs, reports, reaction and news.

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Stream the Northern Ireland Open and other top snooker action live on Eurosport and discovery+