Judd Trump survived a scare to beat Duane Jones 4-3 and book his place in the second round of the Welsh Open. The world number three reached the final of the event at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena 12 months ago but was in real danger of falling at the first hurdle against Jones. The two players went into a deciding frame after Jones battled back from 3-1 down and the Welshman was just six pots away from reaching round two until he missed a yellow, which presented Trump with the reprieve he needed to win the match.
The 28-year-old admitted after the contest that he was fortunate to still be in the competition and praised Jones for putting in an impressive display. “It was a battle – Duane played well in his home tournament,” Trump was quoted as saying on the world snooker website. “He is a solid player and he has improved. I missed too many balls during the match and got unlucky a few times.” Trump has endured an inconsistent season to date. He successfully defended his European Masters title in October but has also suffered first-round exits at a couple of ranking events, most recently last week’s World Grand Prix. However, the Welsh Open is a tournament Trump enjoys and he is hoping to go all the way this week. “My results this season have been mixed, I have been inconsistent,” he added. “But I like this one because I feel close to home, I get a lot of support and I have always wanted to win it. I was gutted to lose in the final last year.”
Trump will face either Ross Muir or Noppon Saengkham in round two and is priced at 17/2 to go on and claim overall glory in Wales.