Judd Trump reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship with a 6-3 win over Si Jiahui on Wednesday night in York, while Mark Selby also went through after a 6-2 victory against Zhou Yuelong.
Trump, the world number one, is trying to avoid ending a full year without winning a title for the first time since 2013. Back using the cue that helped him win the 2019 World Championship, he looked good in spells. He made a 117 in the third frame and then cleared up with a 65 to win the fourth after falling behind. A long, 37-minute fifth frame put him 4-1 up, but Si fought back to 4-3, creating some nerves. Trump, however, steadied himself and won the next two frames, including a scrappy eighth, finishing the match with a break of 50. He will face either Ding Junhui or Scott Donaldson in the next round.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Trump said the match felt tense and admitted he is still lacking confidence. He said he started strongly but became hesitant after some poor shots at 4–1. He added that he feels good with his cue and that the table conditions were excellent.
On the other table, Selby looked strong as he kept alive his hopes of winning a third UK title. He beat Zhou Yuelong 6-2, having already knocked out Scottish Open winner Lei Peifan earlier in the event. Zhou, who shocked Ronnie O’Sullivan in the first round, made it 2-2, but a long 53-minute frame swung the match Selby’s way. He followed it with breaks of 71, 75, and 56 to finish the job. Selby will face either Barry Hawkins or Elliot Slessor in the quarter-finals.
Selby said that beating a player who has just defeated O’Sullivan should boost anyone’s confidence. He also added that winning Triple Crown titles is becoming more difficult because the standard of play is so high.
