Zizins loses deciding frame, fails to qualify for Northern Ireland Open

Latvian snooker player Artemijs Zizins suffered defeat in the first qualifying round of the Northern Ireland Open, losing the deciding seventh frame to Hong Kong's Chen Kavai by a score of 3:4.

Match progress

The match opened with tactical exchanges, both players trading small advantages. In the first frame, Zizins made a costly mistake at a key moment and conceded 0:1. In the second frame, the Latvian produced a 47-point break but repeatedly failed to finish off the frame, including missing the black ball, and fell behind 0:2.

In the third and fourth frames, Zizins fought back by capitalizing on his opponent's errors and putting together solid breaks, leveling the score at 2:2. However, luck favored Chen in the fifth frame — helped by a lucky rebound and later an impressive 68-point break, the Hong Kong player moved back ahead, 2:3.

In the sixth frame, Zizins managed to exploit his opponent's mistakes around a difficult snooker situation to level the match at 3:3, forcing a decider. In that final frame, however, Zizins's inaccuracy on the green ball proved decisive, allowing Chen to compile the points needed for a 4:3 victory.

Consequences and upcoming schedule

The loss means the 20-year-old Zizins will not compete in the Northern Ireland Open main draw and receives neither prize money nor ranking points for the match.

Zizins already has another match this week: on September 17 at 11:30, in the final qualifying round of the International Championship, he will face China's Anda Zhang, currently ranked 19th on the professional tour.