Jack Lisowski has made his feelings clear about snooker legends Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins as he goes for glory at the Northern Ireland Open
14:40, 24 Oct 2025
Jack Lisowski has looked up Ronnie O’Sullivan since he was a child(Image: Getty Images)
Jack Lisowski has made his feelings clear about Ronnie O’Sullivan and another snooker legend, John Higgins. The popular Lisowski remains a contender at the Northern Ireland Open, where he faces defending champion Kyren Wilson in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Jackpot, 34, is widely regarded as the best player on the circuit not to have won a ranking tournament, with his attacking nature making him a firm favourite with fans over the years. His supporters will be hoping he can finally deliver on his undoubted ability by getting over the line in a big tournament.
Like many of his peers, the Cheltenham-born cueman has idolised seven-time world champion O’Sullivan. Asked by Eurosport earlier this year which players he looked up to, Lisowski said of the Rocket: “He’s just a god, isn’t he? He carried the game for the last 20 years. He’s one of the most exciting British sportsmen ever.”
Recalling a heart-warming meeting with O’Sullivan when he was a child, Lisowski said: “At the Welsh Open – I think I was like 12 – I cut my arm really bad on a glass door and I had it in a sling. He beat someone 5-0 and then he signed it after. I was buzzing.”
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O’Sullivan has not entered the Belfast tournament as he continues to carefully manage his schedule. Higgins has been in action, losing 5-2 to Judd Trump in the first quarter-final.
Lisowski added: “[O’Sullivan] is closely followed by John Higgins. He was my idol when I was growing up for several years.” Lisowski has had a tough year on and off the table following the sudden death of his father in March.
Lisowski also admires four-time world champion John Higgins(Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images)
He returned to action the following month in the World Championship qualifiers, losing to Zak Surety. Speaking about the tragedy and his form earlier this week, he admitted to TNT Sports that he had returned to action too soon. He said: “It’s up and down. It feels different now.
“I didn’t have a lot of fight in me the first few months [following his dad’s passing], but now I’m just able to play and I don’t feel like crying when I’m playing.
Jack Lisowski has spoken about returning to snooker following the death of his father(Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
“I played like a month after my dad died, in the Worlds, and every frame I just felt so emotional. I wish I’d had longer off. But I kept going. Obviously, it doesn’t get easier, but you just get used to it.”
The other quarter-finals in Belfast will see an all-Northern Irish affair between Mark Allen and Jordan Brown and a meeting between Tom Ford and Zhou Yuelong. The latter advanced with a bye after Ali Carter withdrew for personal reasons
