Northern Ireland Open snooker 2020 - Judd Trump eases past Scott Donaldson to reach semi-finals

ByEurosport

Updated 20/11/2020 at 15:33 GMT

World number one and defending Northern Ireland Open champion Judd Trump eased through to the semi-finals as he outclassed Scott Donaldson in the Friday afternoon session at Marshall Arena. Watch the Northern Ireland Open live on Eurosport all week, as Trump targets a third successive title.

Judd Trump blitzed through to the semi-finals of the Northern Ireland Open after comfortably dispatching Scott Donaldson 5-1 in Milton Keynes.

Trump is the first name into the last four and will face the winner of David Grace's match with Yan Bingtao in the semis.

“[It was a] slow start but Scott didn’t really get going in the end,” said Trump, who admitted on Thursday that he had struggled with the "heavy" conditions on Moving Day.

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“I took a while to get used to the new cloth out there, the table had been redone overnight, it was playing completely different.

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"A couple of shots we were playing thick and missing and making a few easy mistakes, the cushions were playing soft and it took two or three frames to get used to it. When I got a rhythm going out there I felt really comfortable.”

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The reigning Northern Ireland Open champion got off to a great start. He sunk the first red after some fine safety play which he also showcased in his victory over Martin Gould on Thursday evening.

The second frame lasted over half an hour and Trump blundered to allow the Scot back into contention. He left Donaldson a jab at a long red to the bottom right which he put away before potting the pink to draw level.

Donaldson conceded the third when Trump potted the green for a break of 70. Before long Trump had a two-frame cushion when he rattled in a 112, after potting an ambitious long yellow, to take make it 3-1 at the mid-session interval.

Trump continued to dominate as Donaldson conceded the fifth when he required three snookers, despite the former missing the pink moments earlier. Trump finished the match just shy of a century by making 86.

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