Match Reports from the 888.com World Snooker Championship
Judd Trumped
Shaun Murphy 10 – 6 Judd Trump
Shaun Murphy overcame stiff resistance from teenage debutant Judd Trump to make it into round two.
For a long time it was unclear who would come out on top in the best match of the tournament so far.
Murphy, champion two years ago, started well with breaks of 81, 96 and 52 to cruise into a 3-0 lead. Many would have expected 17-year-old Trump to crumble under the circumstances, but he showed why he is so highly-rated.
Like so many young players he has a game based on attack, and his approach was rewarded with frames either side of the mid session interval.
The last four frames of the session were shared, leaving the match intriguingly poised at 5-4 to Murphy.
When play restarted in the evening, Trump threatened a massive upset with some marvellous snooker to move 6-5 ahead.
He continued to take risks, and at times his shot selection was naïve. When he was chasing, his inexperience helped because he had nothing to lose. By taking the lead though, the dynamic of the match changed.
Using his experience, Murphy played conservatively and waited for Trump to give him opportunities.
There is no doubt the 24-year-old was under pressure, shown by the way he shouted “get in” as he took the 13th frame to retake the lead.
After that Murphy closed out the game clinically, taking the next three frames to win the match.
Trump will no doubt be disappointed at what may be a missed opportunity. However, he will have learned a lot from this defeat and when the dust settles he can look back on the match with pride.
By David Pritchard
