Masters snooker 2019: Judd Trump beats Mark Selby 6-2 in quarter-final

By Sporting Life

Snooker

Sat January 19, 2019 · 6y ago

Judd Trump got the better of some tense early exchanges before beating an off-colour Mark Selby 6-2 in their Dafabet Masters quarter-final.

Selby was a long way from the player who looked back to his best when winning against Stephen Maguire in the first round, consistently missing long pots by some distance and making careless mistakes when in among the balls.

Without necessarily being at his own blistering best, Trump was ruthless enough to take advantage, a break of 81 earning him a 3-1 mid-session lead before a century put him 4-1 in front.

That soon became 5-1 thanks to a run of 60, again owing something to his opponent, and while Selby manfully registered a 110 break to extend the match it would prove a mere stay of execution as Trump won a tight eighth frame to seal a semi-final place.

"It was a bit of a nervy game in the end," said Trump.

"In the past, maybe I would've messed up. You've just got to stay patient against him. When a frame is going on for 40 minutes, it's demoralising losing that kind of frame.

"You know he can come back from any scoreline."

That was one of the most DRAMATIC final two minutes of a Masters match!@judd147t has knocked out world number one @markjesterselby 6-2! pic.twitter.com/tD8A67eBtQ
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 18, 2019

After edging a first frame which lasted some 43 minutes, following a safety exchange which Trump finally broke free of, it was the left-hander who produced the first break of note with a run of 54 enough to take the second.

Selby fought back with a 64 break to halve the deficit, but Trump immediately restored his advantage with an 81 break to take a 3-1 lead to the mid-session interval.

It was a session characterised by missed half-chances and tense, extended periods of safety, which ought perhaps to have suited the Jester from Leicester.

However, a lack of confidence shone through as he missed a string of vital balls and Trump was ruthless enough to take advantage, moving halfway towards the required six-frame total.

After returning to the table, again it was Selby who had chances only to miss two mid-range reds at the start of the fifth frame.

On the latter occasion, the pot was missed by such a margin that he lost control of the white ball which allowed Trump in among the balls for a 101 break and 4-1 lead.

It was soon 5-1, following a similar pattern. This time, Selby wasted three chances to take control of the frame, latterly a straightforward red which left his opponent with a golden opportunity which Trump took with a run of 60 to move within one of the match.

Trump's misfortune in frame seven, a red ricocheting into the middle pocket after he'd thumped home the black, gave Selby a chance to extend the match and he did so with an excellent 110 clearance.

But just as he needed the run of the balls having forced an opening in frame eight, Selby's cannon on the blue was fractions out and left him in a snooker from which he went in off to hand Trump a long pot, effectively for the match.

Trump impressively rattled home the blue and rolled in the pink for a convincing victory.

"I think my patience is a lot better than it was," he told Steve Davis, and there's little doubt that this was a display more of poise than potting, one which saw him beat Selby at his own game.

Trump will face Neil Robertson in Saturday's evening session semi-final, after the Australian came from behind to beat Barry Hawkins 6-3 in the last quarter-final.

Hawkins took a 2-0 lead with breaks of 64 and 72, before Robertson secured the following five frames on his way to booking a place in the last four.