Jack Lisowski's heartbreak over his dad's sudden death and his own cancer battle

Jack Lisowski won his first ranking title at the Northern Ireland Open in an emotional final against Judd Trump, less than a year after his father's death

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Jack Lisowski dedicated his first ranking title win to his late father at the Northern Ireland Open. Despite being hailed as a young prodigy, Lisowski had been unable to clinch any silverware until now.

The Gloucestershire potter has long been one of snooker's top players but was previously known for his lack of titles and losses in finals. However, this all changed when he faced off against childhood friend Judd Trump in an emotional Northern Ireland Open final.

Lisowski won the epic clash 9-8 and broke down in Belfast, with the victory coming less than a year after his father's death. The 34-year-old has also battled health issues, including a fight with Hodgkin's lymphoma at just 16 years old.

Following his victory over Trump in Belfast, which saw Lisowski finally shake off his ranking title demons, he paid tribute to his late father.

He said: "I've got my dad's socks on today. He didn't live to see me win a ranking title. But this is for him if he's watching down and it's also for my Mum for everything she has done for me."

Lisowski's father passed away in March. He admits that the sudden death impacted his snooker and he perhaps should have delayed his return to the sport following such a tragic event.

"It's been up and down, it feels different now," said Lisowski earlier this month. "I didn't have a lot of fighting in the first few months but now I'm able to play.

"The first month I played without my dad, every frame I just felt so emotional, so I wish I didn't. I wish I didn't play for a bit but I just kept going. It's tough to support me, because there's so much heartbreak."

The Cheltenham-born star has previously overcome hardship, particularly during his teenage years when he was diagnosed with a form of cancer. A nine-month ordeal followed, involving 16 rounds of chemotherapy and he continues to need routine medical monitoring.

"You are 16 and you have your whole life ahead of you and something like that happens and you start fearing for your life. You wouldn't wish it on anyone," confessed Lisowski during the early stages of his professional career.

"I felt really ill, and started thinking really negative things, and I was convinced I was going to die. But my consultant told me: 'I will do my best to cure you, and I'm confident I can.'

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"I never looked back from there, and every scan after that saw the lump go down. I still have to go for scans, but it's looking pretty good.

"There were nine months of chemotherapy and 16 courses, and all that time I was thinking about my snooker and how I was going to give it everything when I got back.

"At that time I was too ill to practice, and had months of frustration. But I think it made me stronger as a person. I know that snooker isn't everything."

Following his triumph against the world No. 1 in Northern Ireland, Lisowski pocketed the winner's cheque of £100,000. With his previous final heartbreak now behind him, he will surely be eyeing up success in numerous other competitions this year, with the UK Championship looming large.