FANS of 'the snooks' will doubtless be aware that the new Northern Ireland Open has been taking place in Belfast throughout this week at the Titanic Exhibition Centre.
The world ranking event is part of the new Home Nations quartet of tournaments including the English Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open, with any player who wins all four events receiving a £1 million bonus.
The NI Open features over 120 of the world's leading snooker stars competing for the top prize of £70,000, including the north's top player, Antrim man Mark Wallace, Belfast's own Joe Swail, former World Championship quarter-finalist Patrick Wallace from Dungannon, bona fide legend of the baize Jimmy White and current English superstar Ronnie O'Sullivan.
A flat draw with all contestants starting in the first round, it's the first professional snooker event in Northern Ireland in almost 10 years.
The quarter final gets under way today, with players vying to make the cut for tomorrow's semis and the chance to reach Sunday's finals, at the end of which one man will become the first recipient of the new Alex Higgins Trophy, named after the north's two-time world champ.
:: Tickets available via Ticketmaster or on the door, doors open one hour before play. For full details, see Worldsnooker.com
