16.11.06

TRUMP RULES UK

Judd Trump, a 9-0 winner over Patrick Einsle in the first qualifying round of the UK Championship, again expended minimal mental energy in cruising to a 9-2 second round victory today over David Roe, who thus lost his opening match in a ranking event for the first time since the 2005 World Championship.

A 39 clearance gave Trump the opening frame and one of 67 made it 2-0 but the match was still very much in the balance at 3-2 to this prodigiously talented Bristol teenager.

However, Trump’s 137 total clearance in the sixth was the catalyst for his run of six successive frames which carried him to victory and a final qualifying round tussle with Rod Lawler.

Mark Allen, beaten 9-8 by Steve Davis in the last 32 of last season’s UK Championship, overturned a 4-2 deficit to beat James Leadbetter 9-5.

Allen’s 90 made it 4-4 but he lost the first on the resumption when Leadbetter cleared green to black.

However, Allen outpointed him 415-36 in the remaining five frames as breaks of 45, 37, 40, 76, 63, and 52 helped him reach the final qualifying round.

It would clearly do the event a lot of good if Trump and Allen made it through to York.

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