Trump makes 100th century of the season to see off danger from qualifier
Judd Trump dodged the “Crucible Curse” to move into the second round of the World Championship as the tournament prepared to re-enter full lockdown mode.
Those fans who watched the defending champion turn a 5-4 first-session deficit into a 10-8 win over qualifier Tom Ford are likely to have been the last this season after the Government decreed that the event must go behind closed doors from today. Ford surged into 3-0 and 5-2 leads before Trump ground his way back to seal a win which, while largely unconvincing, nudged him a step closer to becoming the first first-time winner to retain their title in the Crucible era.
“I got off to a bad start and it was always going to be an uphill battle,” Trump said. “It was different to how I’ve been playing all season, but I’ve never been a quick starter at the Crucible. I’ve always had to scrap through the first round and it’s always taken some time to get used to the surroundings. It’s a bit eerie around Sheffield, it’s normally something special but it’s a bit quieter, you can just feel that something’s not quite right.
“But for me to be able to walk in with my family and my brother, I loved experiencing it with all the crowds that could make it, and that makes the experience special.” In a spectacular start, world No 26 Ford sank 13 reds and 12 blacks in the opening frame before missing a black with a maximum at his mercy. Trump’s fightback included a clinical 131 clearance, which made him only the second player to record 100 century breaks in a single season. On the other table, Alan Mcmanus established a 5-4 overnight lead over threetime winner Mark Williams.