Judd Trump shakes off slow start to kick off defence of Northern Ireland Open title with win over Andrew Pagett

ByAlex Livie

Updated 13/10/2021 at 17:01 GMT

Judd Trump did not have the cue ball on a string in his clash with Andrew Pagett, as he often can. But his long-ball game improved as the match wore on and an excellent blue into the yellow pocket set him on his way to victory and a meeting with Gao Yang in the last 64 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Judd Trump kicked off the defence of his Northern Ireland Open title with a 4-1 win over Andrew Pagett.

The 32-year-old was a step short of his best, but there were enough flashes of brilliance - the highlight being a positional shot off seven cushions - to suggest he will be tough to beat this week.

Trump made an impressive start at the Waterfront Hall with an excellent opening red, but a surprise miss with his score on 20 hinted at cobwebs in the cueing arm.

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The opener proved to be a scrappy affair, but it went Pagett’s way after he won a safety battle on the colours.

As in the first frame, Trump got in in the second with an excellent opening red. It came as a surprise when he broke down on 50, but Pagett did not make him pay as the defending champion levelled the match, wowing the crowd with an outrageous positional shot - going round the entire table - from pink to black.

The third frame saw both players miss routine balls, but Trump put together an excellent break of 65, despite repeatedly running out of position, to get his nose in front.

Trump's most recent outing was in the US Open Pool Championship, and it's likely he is feeling his way back into the day job.

The fourth followed a similar, scrappy path to the third. Trump wants to win and win in style, but is prepared to fight when the game goes into the weeds and he took the frame to edge 3-1 ahead.

Trump did not have the cue ball on a string, as he often can. But his long-ball game improved as the match wore on and an excellent blue into the yellow pocket set him on his way to victory and a meeting with Gao Yang in the last 64.

‘You have got to pot them any way you can!’ - Pagett the beneficiary of huge slice of luck

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