Welsh Open - Rd 2

Wednesday Evening 

Featured Match –

Report Written By Graeme Drayton from The 15 Red Podcast team 

Judd Trump v Si Jihui 

Highest Break 82 - Trump (Frame 3)

Si Jihui started off the better of the two, potting a fantastic long red and played of the side of the bunch and ended up missing the yellow, Trump made a break of 8 and missed a long red into the green pocket. Jihul cleared that up and tried snookering Trump behind the yellow but he failed as he hit the brown too hard and the cue-ball rolled just too far which left Trump a long red, that he missed. There were some good tactical shots played, as the opening frame continued to be tight. There was a long period of safety, all the reds were congregating over to the right bottom corner pocket. It was Trump who had first chance but missed a cut on a red to right corner, then Jihul missed a cut on the opposite side. The safety continued, Trump was left a long red which he brilliantly took, after potting the yellow he tried to disturbed the reds surrounding the bottom corner but hit nothing, he failed to pot a red which let Jihul in. He was showing some class after playing some great shots, for example after overhitting a pot on the red and losing position on the black he potted a brilliant long brown and then a fantastic long red, Jihui looked comfortable as he built up a good lead, making a break of 51. After the break broke down, he had to play safe, sending a red into the baulk area. After another little bout of safety, Jihul made a mistake leaving a red over the right middle pocket, Trump potted it and landed on the pink, which was sitting near the left corner, he played a wonderful screw shot to get the cue-ball back into baulk to clear that red away to end up back on the black. Trump failed to move any of the two reds that were tight on the bottom cushion and had to settle for a 15 break. After Juhil failed to hit any of the remaining two reds, Trump was left with a free ball and took the yellow and then blue and tried disturbing the two reds on the bottom cushion, but yet again he failed and played safe. The scores were 36 – 53 to Jihul. Jihul then missed the edge of the red, giving away another foul but this time did not leave a free ball, so Trump said ‘take it again’ this time he hit the red perfectly but unfortunately the cue-ball found its way into the yellow pocket. Trump said, ‘play again,’ The ball was not replaced to where he fouled from because he did not miss the red. He played form the D, and left Trump hampered by the green. Trump missed the edge of the red to the right of the black but after being put bak to play again he played it perfectly the second time and almost snookered Jihul. Yet again Jihul missed the thin edge on the red, but Trump put Jihul back in and he played a fantastic safety shot by putting the cue-ball tight on the baulk cushion. By this point the frame was 27-minute old. Judd replied with a decent safety but left a chance for Jihul who missed a red into the left middle pocket, and left Trump a red that he played with the long extension rest but overcut it by a long way. Jihul did not crack under the pressure and made the break count, eventually potting the green (which was frame ball) into its own pocket and surprisingly took the opener to lead Trump. 0 - 1.

Frame 2, Trump missed a red, the cue-ball landed near the blue spot. Jihul potted the first red of the frame, with the break on 25 he smashed into the bunch from the black got a good spilt but missed a red into the right corner. Trump cleared the red Jihul had missed, the cue-ball drifted over to the right-hand cushion and then he missed the blue of its spot. Jihul was in and made a break of 9 break and unexpectedly missed the black of its spot. Jihul had a 40-point lead. Trump began to eat into Jihul lead, but the break on 41 he missed a straight-forward black and pushed the last red over the left middle, Jihul potted it but had a distratuois cannon on the brown which halted his progress. Jihul rolled hit black, and pushed the white onto the right-side cushion, Trump played safe on the yellow but left a tempter for Jihul which he missed the long effort but luckily it went safe. Trump was fortunate to get a snooker behind the brown, but Jihul easily escaped. Trump potted a long yellow, and landed perfectly on the green, he cleared the brown and the blue to leave Jihul needed one snooker with just the pink and black remaining. Trump potted the pink to win his first frame and bring the match level. 1 - 1. 

Frame 3, Jihul played a good safety to land the cue-ball in behind the yellow. Trump conceded 4-points by not contacting a red, but he had no problem on his second attempt, hitting the red and not leaving a pot on. Jihul caught a red too thick on safety play and Trump had a chance with an open table to get some rhythm going. During this break Trump started to look more confident, and when potted frame ball he settled down. His break ended on 82 but tried to fluke a red to continue the break but failed. Trump came from one down to go into the lead. 2 - 1.

Frame 4 started off very tactical. Jihul caught the red in baulk too thin but it went into the green pocket, but he missed the yellow and left a red for Trump that he missed into the left corner bottom pocket. Jihul potted the red and he was on a mission to level the match, with the break on 24 he potted the black but missed the pack of reds. There was a red near the right middle pocket, but he did have the angle to cut it in so played the cue-ball slowly into the bunch. After Jihul next bad safety error he left Trump potted another long red. Jihul was beginning to lose the confidence he had showed in frame 1. Trump made a 22 break and put the cue-ball tight on the baulk cushion. With the reds open he was under a bit of pressure because the red was all in open play. Jihul played a good safety, but despite being hampered by the brown Trump somehow pulled out another long red, but after potting the blue, he sent the cue-ball around the angels and failed to finish on a red, Trump attempted a double into the middle which he missed. Jihul missed another red that he was potting in the first frame. The scores were 27 – 32, Trump then cleared the red near the right bottom corner pocket and took the cue-ball up to the baulk using a tremendous amount of power on the backspin shot and potted a wonderful pink. He went onto to pot frame ball with a delicate little shot on a red just to drop it into the right middle pocket but missed the pink but he had made of 40 which was enough to leave Jihul needing three snookers. He laied on the green, Trump escaped. Eventually Trump potted the green to win the frame and go 3 – 1 up, now just one frame away from the last 32.

Frame 5, Trump began with a bad break off shot, he left Jihul with a choice of two reds, one over right middle and the other to left bottom corner. He missed the one to the middle, but left Trump hampered on the green, so he did not entertain any pot and played safe. Trump went for a long pot which he missed, the red bounced around a few times, but he did not leave it on, Jihul missed a red along the cushion. Trump potted a red with the rest and fluked another at the same time, the cue-ball ended up in baulk and he missed green into left middle. Jihul potted a red and went on to make his highest break of the match with a 75. He was one frame behind now, could he build momentum into frame 6. 3 - 2.

Frame 6, Trump attempted a long red which he missed. Jihul potted a good red in the bottom right corner with the cue-ball being tight on the left side cushion. The break came to abrupt end on 38, he played bad position on a red, the cue-ball stuck to the right-side cushion, he potted the black but there was no he break into the pack, so he played the cue-ball to the safety of baulk. Jihul had a 38-point lead but he made an error on his safety play and left Trump a long red, he potted it and had the opportunity to win the match. Trump made a break of 54 and then missed the red along the bottom cushion to the right bottom corner. Jihul potted the red but finished straight on the black to gain position the last red, he took on the pink into the left middle, he got on the red but missed it into the bottom left corner pocket and left over the opposite corner and Trump took his chance and won the match. Trump was not convincing but got over the line. 4 - 2.