Masters is hit by Covid as Trump forced to withdraw
JUDD TRUMP and Jack Lisowski have both tested positive for Covid-19 at the Betfred Masters in Milton Keynes and have now been withdrawn from the event.
World No1 Trump, the tournament favourite, had been due to play David Gilbert this afternoon.
He has been directly replaced at this late stage by fellow Englishman Joe Perry, who will now face Gilbert at 7pm tonight.
Lisowski was due to play Kyren Wilson this evening and Gary Wilson will now take his place.
The two Wilsons will clash at 1pm this afternoon in the opening match of the tournament.
Perry and Gary Wilson were both already present at the event as reserves and have received negative test results.
World Snooker Tour are currently operating under strict guidelines in a ‘bubble’ environment for this event.
All players are tested in advance of their first match and, after the test, they remain in isolation until the result is received.
Other players and officials tested at the event so far have had negative results.
Trump and Lisowski will now have to undergo a further period of self-isolation and will receive the support of both WST and the WPBSA.
Trump said: ‘I am obviously very disappointed to be missing the Masters, it is one of the biggest titles we play for. I didn’t have any symptoms, so it came as a shock when I heard I had tested positive.
‘But we have all seen what is going on in the country.
‘The main thing now, of course, is to isolate properly and recover, and I also want to see my brother Jack get a test as well to make sure that he is okay.’
News of the withdrawals is a further blow to the tournament, which was forced to give up its hopes of playing at its regular Alexandra Palace venue in London in front of a limited number of spectators following a stringent tightening of the government’s lockdown rules.
Open only to the top 16 players in the world, the Masters is considered one of the sport’s ‘triple-crown’ events along with the World and UK Championships.
Meanwhile, three-time world champion Mark Williams blasted organisers after learning Trump and Lisowski will be denied any first-round prize money after their positive Covid tests.
The cash will instead go to their replacements in the draw, Perry and Wilson.
‘I think it’s terrible that you don’t get your first-round prize money for the Masters if you test positive for Covid,’ said an irate Williams.
‘You work hard all year and to get into the top 16 and not get a penny — and it’s not your own fault.
‘Or at least give the player half of the money and the reserve player the other half.’
Record seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is due to begin his campaign against China’s
Ding Junhui on Wednesday.