Judd Trump beats Mark Allen to move into Masters quarter-finals
Judd Trump moved into the Masters quarter-finals after edging out Mark Allen 6-5 at Alexandra Palace.
Trump made 101 breaks either side of a 92 from Allen to go 2-1 up and went 3-2 ahead with an 88 before the Northern Irishman won back-to-back frames to lead 4-3.
Allen then failed to take a great chance to make it 5-3 as Trump levelled, and the world number two went on to move 5-4 in front via a 135, the highest break of the tournament at that point.
2019 champion @judd147t has beaten 2018 winner Mark Allen 6-5 to reach the quarter finals of the @CazooUK Masters!
He'll play the winner of tonight's match, Kyren Wilson vs Stuart Bingham #CazooMasters pic.twitter.com/XphVFJaR1F
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) January 12, 2022
After Allen subsequently claimed frame 10 to force a decider, Trump wrapped up victory with a break of 62.
The 32-year-old Englishman – who won the competition in 2019, a year after Allen – said in a post-match interview: “Wow. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I’ve lost a few close ones this season and to battle back there…
“It’s just you lose the belief when you lose these close games, but to finish how I did, I’m so proud of myself.”
Trump had given a small fist pump after drawing level at 4-4, and when asked about that, he said: “Normally I’m quite reserved, but I couldn’t help it, with this crowd in here. They pick you up, and I love the sort of rowdiness of this London crowd, it’s amazing.”
Judd Trump records the 13th century of the tournament, the highest break…
1️⃣3️⃣5️⃣
That's £1300 so far to @jessiemaytrust! 🙏
He leads Mark Allen 5-4 in round one #CazooMasters pic.twitter.com/hcfahsDGZT
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) January 12, 2022
He added: “I’m just getting warmed up now. I’m so happy to still be in it.”
Trump’s quarter-final opponent will be Kyren Wilson, who got past Stuart Bingham in another contest that went down to a deciding frame.
Having been 3-0 and 4-1 down, 2020 champion Bingham – who saw Wilson call a foul on himself in the sixth – fought back with three successive frames, the third secured with a 139 break to surpass Trump’s mark.
Bingham then registered a 132 when drawing level once again at 5-5 before Wilson claimed frame 11 to clinch the match.