Northern Ireland's Jordan Brown is hoping for more success at his home event this month, but is still unsure if he will be facing close friend and compatriot Mark Allen in his opening game.
Brown enjoyed his best Belfast result last season, reaching the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open as he impressively beat Zhao Xintong and Shaun Murphy along the way. He ran into Allen in the last eight in a Northern Irish derby which delighted the crowd at the Waterfront Hall, but it was the Pistol who progressed to the semis.
Return to Belfast
The 38-year-old is relishing a return and is looking to summon up the good vibes of a year ago as that was the last time he reached a ranking quarter-final.
'It's always a very exciting time of the year, it's a special place to play and I have great memories from last year,' Brown told Metro. 'We always get fantastic support so I can't wait to play there again.
'It was a weird one last year because the week before I wasn't wanting to go out there at all. I was in a bad place with my game and didn't have any results to build on, so that came out of nowhere. But at the same time, that run is always in me and can come out at any time. That good run last year kept me on tour in the end, all it takes is one good week.
'The match against Shaun, in particular, the atmosphere was electric. Against Mark it was a bit surreal because I was expecting shouts from the crowd but there were none. There was a lot of neutrals who didn't know who to cheer on because we're the home heroes, Mark more than me, but it was a special night and a week overall I'll never forget.'
Mark Allen's absence
If Allen does play Brown on Tuesday October 20 then it will be the first time the former UK and Masters champion will have competed this season. Allen has not played since his World Championship semi-final loss to Wu Yize, with his absence from action something of a mystery.
Brown has been in contact with his long-time friend and practice partner, saying he is 'doing okay' but does not yet know if Allen will play at the Waterfront and he remains worried about him.
'I can't really comment too much on it, but all I do know is he is doing okay. I've been checking in on him,' said Brown. 'I honestly don't know if he's going to play or not. If he does play it will be great for the local crowd. It'll be great to see him back playing, we all want to see him back.
'Personally I miss him. I worry about him because he's one of my best friends. We all hope to see him back soon and playing the game that he loves because he's a great player and a great guy.
'The main thing is he is doing okay. He obviously has things to sort out so we all hope he'll be back at the table soon.'
Ranking concerns and personal loss
The former Welsh Open champion is fighting for tour survival this season, with rankings a concern for him, so admits he wouldn't mind if his pal skips this event as well.
'It's a win-win for me, if I play him then great and if he doesn't play I get a bye,' he said. 'It's obviously not how you want to go on, but I'll take anything right now in my ranking position. I could do with as many points as I can get!'
Brown is currently ranked 65 in the world and has a provisional end of season ranking of 69. With only the top 64 guaranteed a place on next season's tour, he has work to do.
While making no excuses, he has faced personal tragedy already this season with the loss of his mother, which understandably blurred his focus.
'There's no getting away from the fact that I'm in the danger zone and it is in the back of my mind,' he said. 'The last three years have just been awful, my results have not been good enough and it's nobody else's fault but my own. It's up to me to do something about it and there's a good run in me somewhere.
'I lost my mother at the start of August. She was 82 and suffered with dementia. It got really bad and she's been in a care home for the last three years. It's a slow deterioration that's hard to watch, it's a terrible thing to see, but she's at peace now.
'Obviously that's been another reason I've struggled. In August I didn't win a frame for three matches and I lost motivation to practice at that stage. It's tough and it knocked me back a little bit but you've got to get back on the horse and get practising.
'That was a setback, but I've regained love for the game, I'm practising hard and I'm determined for the rest of the season.'
New cue and outlook
Brown has also employed the services of former pro and current master cue-maker Sunny Akani, who has delivered a new piece of wood to him in the last few days. The Antrim Ferrari had used the same cue for 14 years and is loving his new equipment that the Thai craftsman has produced.
'I've just got a new cue last week, Sunny Akani made me a cue. It's so hard to find the right one but he's hit the jackpot this time and it's given me a bit of a lift,' said Brown. 'I know it's not just down to the cue, but I'm quietly confident already. It makes my old cue feel like a bit of antique wood, I'd had so much work done to it over the years, it got too thin and lost its power.
'Sunny sent it to me and I'm really, really happy with it. He's really good at what he does and he's such a lovely lad. The only way is up from here.'
The Northern Ireland Open begins on Sunday 18 October at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
