JACK LISOWSKI feels he was denied a memorable homecoming at the Northern Ireland Open – thanks to other snooker matches running late.

At 35 years old, he secured this title a year ago and was eager to defend it during his return.

Lisowski was set to compete against China’s world No108 Huang Jiahao in the first round on Sunday at 1 pm.

However, there was no grand announcement from the MC or cheers from the audience as the preceding match on table one between Xiao Guodong and Sam Craigie ran a bit over time.

When the Cheltenham cueist entered the arena at the Waterfront Hall, two other tables had already begun their opening frames.

This resulted in a lack of raucous applause from the Belfast crowd, out of courtesy for the other players in the space.

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Lisowski – who celebrated his victory last night with a pint of Guinness, as per his tradition – won 4-1, although his highest break was only 63 in the first frame.

He hopes for an improved reception during his second round match against Scotsman Anthony McGill on Wednesday.

World No18 Lisowski stated: “This is my first time as the defending champion. There’s definitely some expectations involved.

“You want to maintain your strong performance like I had last year. That’s all new to me. Winning is nice, and I’m happy to be progressing in the tournament.”

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“Did I enjoy it? Not really, no.

“It was quite amusing because I ran into McGill in the restroom and he remarked, ‘Ah, you missed out on your entrance’.

“I replied, yeah, I walked out there only to find another game in progress.

“It didn’t feel like a homecoming lap of honor. Still, it was special to be back on stage, and the Belfast crowd is fantastic.

“This arena is truly remarkable to play in. I’m aiming to continue my progress this week and perform as well as possible.

“However, I need to enhance my performance for the next round.”

Lisowski is aware of the importance of accumulating ranking points and prize money, especially since he plans to take time off next year when he and his Brazilian fiancée welcome their baby in Rio.

Advancing deep into this Home Nations event will contribute to future expenses, as the top prize is £100,000, and he hopes to keep the Alex Higgins Trophy.

The No1 seed commented: “I play in a rather erratic way; sometimes my game is sharp, and other times it can be off for a stretch, as has been the case recently.

“I’m not taking anything lightly. I’m focused and practicing diligently, having played against a variety of opponents last week to sharpen my game for this title defense.

“I hope it will be sufficient this week. I plan to keep practicing between matches and give it my utmost effort.”