John Higgins and reigning champion Jack Lisowski were knocked out of the Northern Ireland Open after losing their second-round matches.

Lisowski, who had celebrated an emotional triumph in Belfast last year, fell to Anthony McGill with a scoreline of 4-1 at the Waterfront Hall.

The former world number one was defeated by Wales' Jak Jones 2-4, while Stuart Bingham also exited following a 4-0 defeat to Ka Wai Cheung.

Home favourite Jordan Brown moved past the second round after beating Michael Holt 4-3 on Wednesday evening.

Brown had previously secured an emotional first-round victory over friend Mark Allen on Tuesday night.

Mark Williams from Wales progressed with a 4-2 win against Zhang Anda, alongside Daniel Wells and David Gilbert who also advanced.

The full results for the second round matches played on Wednesday included Pang Junxu defeating Liam Davies 4-3.

Daniel Wells beat Ryan Day 4-3, while Sam Craigie overcame Xu Si in a close contest decided by the final frame.

Scott Donaldson defeated Noppon Saengkham 4-1, and Luca Brecel was eliminated by Martin O'Donnell.

David Gilbert advanced past Gao Yang 4-3, and Mark Williams secured his place after the match against Zhang Anda concluded with a 4-2 result.

The tournament continues with further matches scheduled for later in the week at the venue.

Brown's next opponent is set to be Scott Donaldson in the third round encounter.

No official statement has been released regarding the future format of the event or any changes to its schedule.

The Northern Ireland Open remains a key fixture on the snooker calendar for both professional players and local fans.

Attendance figures for the recent sessions have not yet been published by the organising committee.

Reports suggest the atmosphere at the Waterfront Hall remained high despite the early exits of top-ranked competitors.

The event is organised by the Professional Darts Corporation in conjunction with local sponsors.

No specific prize money breakdown has been made public for this particular edition of the tournament.

Legal teams for all participants have not commented on the outcome of these specific matches.

The governing body for snooker in Northern Ireland has confirmed the results stand as final.

Further details regarding the third round draw will be available closer to the scheduled start time.