Trump eases into final in PLS debut - 06/10/2011

Mark Williams 1-3 Judd Trump
0-79 (Trump 64), 76-14 (Williams 36, 39), 0-79 (Trump 50), 23-71

Making his debut in this year’s PartyPoker.net Premier League Snooker, local lad Judd Trump got his campaign off to a great start as he got the better of Mark Williams at the Hutton Moor Leisure Centre. He now meets either Matthew Stevens or John Higgins in the final of Event Five.

After a re-rack, Trump took the opener with a break 64 as he looked comfortable with the event’s 20 second shot clock. There was a superb long red from Williams in second but he couldn’t capitalise on it but Trump missed a red into the corner pocket to give him another chance. From there, Williams compiled a run of 39 to level the match at 1-1.

Buoyed on by an excellent Weston crowd bounced back to take the third frame with a run of 50. In what was the final frame of the match, Trump missed a long red at 41-0 up but a fluke following a safety exchange got him back to the table and he made the most of it to leave Williams needing all the remaining reds with high value colours.

The black was tied up on the cushion so Williams played a snooker but Trump got the initiative again and when Williams failed to escape from a snooker, nudging the pink, the Welshman conceded.

“To beat Mark is always a good win,” said Trump.

“I struggled at the start but it went my way and you’ve got to take win. The format is different, a lot quicker. I’ve been watching it every week and I always enjoy it so I knew what the format was all about,”

“I feel a little bit more relaxed in the Premier League. With a 20 second shot clock you just get on with it and it suits the faster player,” he added.