Northern Ireland Open 2021: Judd Trump beats Jimmy Robertson to reach quarter-final as he chases fourth straight title

Updated 14/10/2021 at 20:59 GMT

Trump made hard work of it, but he is into the last eight after a 4-3 victory over Robertson - who showed impressive resistance to force a decider. In the end, it came down to which player could produce fewer errors when it counted - and the world number two came through. Stream the Northern Ireland Open live and on demand on discovery+, the Eurosport app and eurosport.com.

‘You can’t keep him out for long!’ – Trump shows his class at Northern Ireland Open

Judd Trump remains on track to win a fourth straight Northern Ireland Open title with a 4-3 win over Jimmy Robertson in Belfast.

Trump looked in control at the start, as the world number one toyed with his opponent and the pair traded snookering each other. Waiting for his opportunity, the reigning champion then raced away with the opening frame, taking it 78-6.

Things panned almost exactly the same way in the second frame, as Trump again patiently waited for his opportunity before chipping away at Robertson to double his advantage.

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Robertson was able to get something of a run going in the third game, putting Trump under some sort of pressure for the first time by getting 46 points on the board. Trump levelled at 46-all, before shanking a red, allowing the world number 48 to tidy up and reduce the deficit.

There was a moment of confusion in the fourth frame, when the referee forgot where the cue ball was meant to be repositioned, with Rob Spencer placing it on completely the wrong side of the table - a mistake which drew laughter from the whole auditorium - including the players.

Robertson had started the frame well, opening up a 47 point lead, and he maintained that throughout to eventually level the match, effectively making it best of three.

Trump recovered to regain his lead in another low scoring frame, taking it 67-18 to 3-2, but back came Robertson again. Trump's miss at 26-0 up allowed his opponent back on to the baize, and a break of 51 put him in control to force a decider, landing a swerve shot on the way to taking the frame 79-26.

WIth plenty on the line, it was a nervy seventh frame, as both players traded errors, before Trump showed his experience to hold his nerve - despite excitement on the adjacent table causing plenty of distractions - to see out victory 71-1 in the decider.

Trump will take on home favourite Mark Allen in the last eight, after the Northern Irishman also game through a seven-frame thriller with Stephen Maguire.

After losing the opening frame, Allen took the next three - coming from 60 behind in the second and producing a century break of 101 in the third frame, but Maguire fought back to take the match to a decider.

Allen produced a break of 69 in that final frame to secure his own place in the semis.