World Snooker Championship: Trump disappoints but still reaches round two

Judd Trump admits he needs to up his game if he to stand any chance of becoming Betfred World Snooker Champion after limping through the first round.

The Bristol potter was given the fright of his life by Crucible debutant Chris Wakelin but emerged 10-9 in a thrilling battle on Thursday night.

The world number four now faces Ricky Walden for a place in the last eight but says he has no chance if he reproduces the performance against Wakelin.

“I was relieved to get through but I know I will have to up my game, I don’t want to go out and lose the next one playing like that,” he said.

“There would be no point winning that one. I know I have to up it.

“I was pleased to win that one, I thought I had thrown it away. I was clearing up a lot of the time but always seemed to run out of position at the vital moment.

“I had a big lead and knew the balls were going to punish me. I was just surprised I kept getting chances after my first 25 misses.”

Tempo

Trump looked in control of the match, leading 6-3 after the first session before stretching that to 8-4,

But Wakelin slowed down the tempo of the match and that disrupted Trump’s rhythm, allowing the Rugby potter to win four on the spin.

Trump edged ahead again but Wakelin nailed a nervy black to force a decider.

With the likes of defending champion Mark Selby and former winners Shaun Murphy and Neil

Robertson already out, this is a golden chance for Trump to win his maiden world title – but he too looked like going home when Wakelin got in the balls first.

But he broke down and eventually, after several bad misses, the 28-year-old got over the line.

“Sometimes you miss under pressure but a few of those misses were not pressure. I don’t really know what they were,” he said.

“I took my eyes off it. The balls were so perfect that we both just got carried away and rushed to the table.

Elsewhere, Anthony Mcgill was forced to dig deep after fighting back from 8-5 down to see off Ryan Day 10-8.

The Glasgow potter struggled for much of the contest but won five frames in a row in a match low on quality but high in drama.

Despite being the seeded player in this contest, McGill was widely considered the underdog against Day – who has claimed two ranking titles this season.

However, he now goes onto face Chinese superstar Ding Junhui with a spring in his step and smile on his face which was lacking for much of this match.

“To play well when it matters it great. I love it here. It is a World Championship, it is worth trying in. If you are not at 100 per cent then you have given up,” he said.

“From the position I was in at 8-5, I needed to win 5-0 or 5-1. I did not think I could do that with the way I was playing but I did play a bit better.

“That is what happened last year. I played Stephen Maguire and I was 7-2 down overnight. I came back and I never settled – I knew I was going to get beat basically.

“But this year I had a bit more fight about me and it shows what can happen.”

Things don’t get easier for McGill, with a tough battle against world number three Ding, a former finalist at the Crucible Theatre.

“He is crushing guys like that and it shows you the challenge I am in for,” he added.

“I should be going home but I will be trying my absolute best. Ding is one of the best break builders there has ever been in the game.

“I am in for a tough fight but at least I am still fighting.”

Watch the snooker World Championship LIVE on Eurosport and Eurosport Player with Colin Murray and analysis from Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.