Perry battles back to shock Trump as O’donnell secures ‘biggest win’
● Former champs go out in last 16 ● World No 59 to face O’sullivan
Former champions Judd Trump and Ding Junhui were dumped out in the last 16 on a day of shocks at the UK Championship in York.
Fifth seed Trump admitted he had simply not played well enough to beat world No 21 Joe Perry, who fought back from 3-1 down to clinch a 6-4 victory in style with a break of 136 in the final frame.
Trump told BBC Sport: “I didn’t feel great the whole tournament and I played badly today.
“I just missed too many chances. Even though I didn’t play well, I was still in control and should have used my experience and scraped through.”
In contrast, Perry, who will face Tom Ford in the quarterfinals, was delighted with his performance.
Perry said: “He is a superb player, so I am chuffed to beat him. I am pleased with how I am playing. I am comfortable
0 Joe Perry on his way to victory over Judd Trump – a win which earned him a last-eight clash with Tom Ford
out there and I felt calm all the way through.”
There was joy too for world number 59 Martin O’donnell, whose 6-4 win over 2005 and 2009 champion Ding landed him a daunting lasteight
showdown with Ronnie O’sullivan. The pair were locked together at 3-3, but O’donnell, who had never been past the first round before, took the seventh and eighth frames, the latter with
a break of 90, before clinching victory in the 10th.
He said: “This is the biggest tournament of the season, my record here has been absolutely appalling. [It’s] definitely the biggest win of my career.”
Asked about today’s impending clash with O’sullivan, O’donnell said: “He could beat me 6-0, but I will enjoy it.
“If I get chances, I will have to take them. Let’s see what happens.”