Judd Trump marches into UK Championship quarter-finals

Judd Trump stormed into the quarter-finals of the UK Championship with a 6-0 win over Jamie Jones in York. The 34-year-old had been struggling the obvious results of flu as he arrived on the match, however adopted up his opening 6-1 victory over Pang Junxu with one other convincing show. Trump – who turned solely the fifth participant in historical past to win three back-to-back rating tournaments final month – by no means appeared again after beginning with a break of 100, for a 950th profession century.

Welshman Jones continued to be punished for errors, with Trump capitalising to take the third body with a break of 59 earlier than one other half-century noticed him heading into the interval with a commanding 4-0 lead. Although Jones constructed a possible frame-winning probability when again on the desk, his run ended at 44 which allowed Trump to shut out the fifth earlier than sealing victory within the subsequent by 84-0. Trump has reached the ultimate of the UK Championship thrice, successful his solitary title in 2011, and on present kind seems to be a powerful contender for this 12 months’s trophy.

“I feel like if I can get through those first couple of rounds then I’m playing amazing and it takes something really special to beat me,” Trump mentioned to BBC Sport following his win over Jones. “A lot of other players perform the same in all conditions, but my cue action, where I come across the ball and hit with a little bit of side at impact, I have to get used to how the table is playing with side a lot more than other players. “The first game I am really nervous, but when I know how I am playing on the table it just becomes easy for me.

” Trump will face Mark Selby within the final eight after his late-night last-frame win over Barry Hawkins. “I am full of confidence, but also the opposition hasn’t stood up to me, which sometimes I don’t really like because you get through too easy and you’re not pushed,” Trump mentioned earlier than Selby’s match. “I know in the next game whoever I play, I am going to have to up my standard.

” On the opposite desk throughout Wednesday’s afternoon session on the Barbican, Ding Junhui noticed off Tom Ford 6-3 to achieve the final eight. Ding – who has received the match thrice and was runner-up to Mark Allen final 12 months – opened with breaks of 126 and 110, however Ford hit again with runs of 118 and 98 to degree the match. It remained a detailed contest as Ford battled to remain in contact, earlier than Ding edged the eighth body after which closed out victory with a break of 106, which ought to safe his place in subsequent 12 months’s Masters.

Selby finally got here by a tense final-frame decider which lasted nearly an hour to finally see off Hawkins 6-5. After opening with a 142 clearance – the best break of the UK Championship to date – after which a break of 101, Selby appeared in management at 3-1. Hawkins, although, dug in after a 133 break and gained late momentum with two extra runs of 84 and 88 to attract degree.

Both males spurned possibilities to take a nerve-shredding decider earlier than Selby sunk an outstanding blue off the underside cushion into the top-left nook and adopted with the pink to win it 68-57. Ding will meet British Open winner Mark Williams for a spot within the semi-finals after he beat fellow Welshman Jamie Clarke 6-4. Clarke made a break of 128 within the second body, however veteran Williams produced a classic show kicked off with 138 within the subsequent and adopted with one other century within the seventh body earlier than a clearance of 100 wrapped issues up.

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