Touching scenes came at the end of a thrilling final in Belfast when Lisowski and Trump, close friends since their junior days, embraced after the final shots were fired.
Lisovsky, who has Ukrainian roots, dedicated this career-defining victory to his father, who died in March of this year.
In a tense match, the difference in the score was never more than one frame, and quite naturally it came down to the deciding game, where an episode on the verge of a nervous breakdown took place: there were four shots in a row, when both players missed the reds twice. After Trump’s second mistake, the 34-year-old Lisovsky jumped at the chance. Having lost his previous six ranking tournament finals (three of them to Trump himself), he was finally relieved to lift the Alex Higgins trophy in front of 1,500 spectators at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
For many years, he was considered the best player among those without a ranking title. But now Lisovsky finally got rid of this burden. With immense natural talent, he can win many more tournaments. The £100,000 prize took him from 29th to 24th in the world rankings (in two years), ninth in the one-year list and second in the Home Nations Series, behind only Mark Allen.
Before the start of the week, there were few signs that Lisovsky was on the verge of something special: he had never even reached the quarterfinals this season. Jack was playing with a new club with a new pad, having worked with coach Chris Henry for only six weeks. In the stands, he was supported by a Brazilian girl, Bela, who watched his game live for the first time. With these factors, Jack brought all the ingredients together into one perfect balance. He knocked out the likes of Mark Selby and Kieren Wilson en route to the final, before finally defeating world number one Judd Trump in the decider after eight straight defeats.
After the first session, the score was 4:4. Trump convincingly won the first frame of the evening, taking the lead, and in the next he got the opportunity to attack first, but lost the position for a run of 37 points. Subsequently, he did not score the last red in the upper corner, and Lisovsky punished him by making a clearance (5:5). Trump’s run of 85 points put him back in front, but Lisovsky responded with an 84 – and the score was 6-6 at the 15-minute stoppage.
In the 13th frame, Lisovsky had full control on the series 29, but dropped the black in the upper corner, after which Trump took advantage of the chance and made the series 41, once again taking the lead (7:6). In the 14th, Lisovsky led 36:0, made a great shot on the red in the center and added another 51 points – the score was tied again (7:7). Trump led 30-0 in the 15th when he misfired on a safety, and Lisovsky made 60 but missed on the black on a frame ball. However, he got another chance, scoring the last red and for the first time after the score 1:0, he went ahead (8:7).
Trump confidently won the 16th frame with two series of 38 points and turned the game into a deciding game (8:8). Lisovsky was the first to get a clear opportunity and made 27, but missed on the red. Trump did not take advantage of the opportunity – he missed twice, and Jack himself also made a mistake. Holding his nerve, Lisovsky managed to make a series of 46, which he will remember for the rest of his life.
Jack Lisovsky: “I’ve been thinking about this moment since I was six or seven, it’s unreal. Judd had been my best friend since I was 14 years old, and he was the one who was by my side in a restaurant in Hong Kong eight months ago when I received the news of my father’s death.
He was the best friend you could ever dream of, the closest thing to a brother. When my dad passed away, I told a friend that my father would never see me win a title. But the friend replied that I could still do it for my mother. This is for him and for mom.
I want to thank the fans for their support – they carried me through the final. I hope this is a new beginning for me.”
Judd Trump: “There was a lot of tension, it was a different situation than in our previous finals – with a lot of risk. I’m very happy for Jack, probably even more than I would be if I won myself. I gave it my all, made a few misses, but Jack fully deserved this win.
It’s good that he silenced everyone, because he was constantly criticized, but now no one will be able to say that. A first title is always special, especially considering what he’s been through in life. He has a great family and I’m glad to be his friend.”
According to the materials of the World Snooker Tour
Snooker. 2025 Northern Ireland Open
Belfast (Northern Ireland), 19–26.10.2025
Final, October 26
Jack Lisovsky (England) – Judd Trump (England) – 9:8
Video fragments of the final
Source: sport.ua