Championship League snooker 2021: 'I wasn't fluent' – Judd Trump makes winning start to new season
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ByEurosport
Updated 06/08/2021 at 22:09 GMT
World number one Judd Trump showed why he potted the most balls in snooker last season as he began the new campaign with some trademark flair shots to top Group One at the Championship League in Leicester. Champion of Champions winner Mark Allen joined Trump in the last 32 next week as winner of Group Five.
Judd Trump | Snooker | ESP Player Feature
Image credit: Getty Images
Judd Trump made an impressive start to the new campaign by topping Group One to reach the last 32 of the Championship League in Leicester.
The world number one potted the most balls on the World Snooker Tour last season with 11373 pots made from 107 matches with world champion Mark Selby second on 10426 from 103 matches.
And he certainly seems to be right back in the groove at the outset of this campaign with 3-1 wins over Rod Lawler, Lee Walker and Anthony Hamilton respectively securing his place in the last 32 as unbeaten group winner.
"Just happy to get through. I wasn't fluent at any point just through lack of playing," said Trump. "I haven't played anyone since the World Championship. It's all good match practice.
"This is tough because the format is so short, but everybody wants to get off to a good start and relax into the season.
"It's going to be a tough one to win."
The 22-times ranking event winner made breaks of 64, 81, 92 and 84 over his three matches.
Champion of Champions winner Mark Allen showed his class in a 3-0 victory over Daniel Womersley that included breaks of 137, 103 and 94 in Group Five.
Allen continued to score in his second match of the day in a 2-2 draw with Mitchell Mann as the Northern Irishman opened with a 77 and finished with a 124 to earn a point against Mann, who won his group opener 3-0 against Chris Wakelin boosted by a closing 132.
The former Masters winner concluded his day with a 3-0 win over Wakelin, finishing with knocks of 85 and 70.
Mann needed a 3-0 win and a 138 break against Womersley to deny Allen, but was held to a 2-2 draw in finishing second in the group on five points.
Former Crucible semi-finalist David Gilbert dominated Group 30 with a 3-1 win over Sanderson Lam and 3-0 victories over Jamie Wilson and Sanderson Lam seeing him ease through to the last 32.
World Seniors champion David Lilley won Group 11 with a 3-1 win over Andy Hicks and a 3-0 victory over Joe O'Connor coming after a 2-2 draw with Zhao Xintong.
Gilbert joins Ronnie O’Sullivan, Craig Steadman and Chang Bingyu in Group H on Monday with Masters Champion Yan Bingtao, Barry Hawkins, Matthew Selt and Cao Yupeng in Group G as the last 32 begins.
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