Northern Ireland Open: Judd Trump maintains hopes of third straight ranking title
- Published
Judd Trump is aiming for a third successive ranking tournament triumph after winning the English Open and Wuhan Open this month
Judd Trump stayed on course for a third straight ranking title as he edged out Noppon Saengkham 4-3 to reach the Northern Ireland Open quarter-finals.
Thailand's world number 23 led by one frame on three occasions, helped by breaks of 85 and 109.
But Trump, 34, won a marathon sixth frame to ensure a decider which he clinched thanks to a run of 92.
Trump is the only member of the world's top 10 in the last eight after Shaun Murphy lost 4-2 to Chris Wakelin.
The tournament got under way on Sunday without six of the world's top 16, which included Ronnie O'Sullivan's withdrawal because of illness.
World champion Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, John Higgins and Ali Carter were also among the absentees after originally skipping the tournament to play in an exhibition in Macau, which was subsequently moved to December following threats of disciplinary action from the World Snooker Tour (WST).
Trump's quarter-final opponent will be Scotland's Stephen Maguire, who continued his return to form in Belfast by edging out England's Joe Perry 4-3 in the last 16.
Shaun Murphy scored only two points in the final three frames of his defeat by compatriot Chris Wakelin after opting to change his cue
Murphy, who has won three ranking titles in 2023, led last season's Shoot Out winner Wakelin 2-1 in their all-English battle but after a change of cue before frame four, managed only two points during the remainder of the contest as the 31-year-old sealed victory with breaks of 55, 41 and 49.
Wakelin, who hails from rugby in Warwickshire, said he had been surprised by Murphy's decision to switch cues.
"It's like putting Max Verstappen in Lewis Hamilton's car and expecting it all to fit perfectly and drive the same," Wakelin told the World Snooker Tour's official website.
"A cue is so personal, I don't think swapping half way through a match is the solution now, though it could be in the future."
Wakelin's quarter-final opponent will be China's Yuan Sijun who ended the hopes of English 17-year-old Stan Moody by clinching a 4-2 win.
Jack Lisowski set up an all-English quarter-final with Ricky Walden after a 4-1 win over the last Irish hope at the tournament, Cork player Aaron Hill.
Walden had the same winning margin over another Chinese player Zihao Xing while Barry Hawkins also reached the last eight thanks to a 4-0 victory over Mark Williams' second-round conqueror Robbie Williams.
Hawkins' quarter-final opponent will be another Englishman Dave Gilbert who beat Rory McLeod 4-0.
