• Welsh Open

Trump cruises as Maguire overcomes back problem

Judd Trump joins defending champion Stephen Maguire in the third round of the Welsh Open © PA Photos

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Judd Trump encountered few problems in his Welsh Open second round match with Jamie Burnett and secured a place in the last 32 with a 4-1 victory in Newport.

Trump edged a tight opening frame before comfortably pulling away in the second. Burnett hit back with a fine run of 80 in the third but Trump regained a two-frame advantage with some smart safety play in the fourth.

Despite Trump missing the chance to wrap up the fifth in relatively simple fashion, Harold could not take advantage and allowed Trump to clean up on the colours to claim a spot in the third round.

Selby and Higgins safely though

• Elsewhere, Mark Selby cruised past Dave Harold in his Welsh Open second round match while John Higgins whitewashed Ken Doherty at the Newport Centre.
• Read the full article here

"I am still getting a bit of bad run, he could have pinched the first frame with a fluke when I was in control and it would have followed the pattern of my year," Trump told worldsnooker.com. "But I potted a good pink to win it and then felt in control. I felt good and confident out there, I am getting to somewhere near my best.

"You have to stay positive which I am doing now, I was over-analysing during the first part of the season. It is hard work to get to the last 32, you just want to get into the latter rounds. Thinking back to my first match last week, if I play like that then I will probably get to the final but obviously if I play Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals it will be tough."

Meanwhile, defending champion Stephen Maguire fought off a swollen disc at the base of his spine to come back from 3-1 down and defeat Sam Baird 4-3 at the Newport Centre.

Maguire won the opening frame before Baird took three consecutive frames to move within one of victory. However, a missed shot on the blue let Maguire back in, who reduced the deficit with the pink and black.

Maguire levelled the scores before completing his comeback with a visit of 68 in the seventh and deciding frame.

"I should have lost that match, especially at 3-1 as he was in the balls perfect and maybe just one or two balls away from winning. Luckily for me he missed them," Maguire said. "I think he lost it more than I won it. I thought I was beat, I needed five or six chances to win a frame. I have been in the position Sam was in today and it's never easy to get over the line. I knew he was feeling it after the fifth frame.

"My back is a little bit dodgy, it's just sore when I am getting down on the shot. Once I am down it is alright. I was practising two weeks ago and went down to play a shot and something clicked. It goes away and comes back for some reason but that is the sorest it's been for a while. I have been to the doctor and got painkillers and anti-inflammatories but I don't want anyone to touch it in case it makes anything worse."

Maguire will now face Andrew Pagett in round three after the Blackpool ace came back from 3-2 down to defeat Gerard Greene 4-3 in their clash.

Elsewhere, Mark Allen made century breaks of 101 and 106 in his 4-2 victory over Noppon Saengkham, while Joel Walker did enough to see off Mark Davis with a 4-3 win. Scott Donaldson beat Dave Gilbert 4-1 and James Wattana enjoyed a 4-2 win over Tom Ford to book his place in the last 32.

Dominic Dale needed five frames to beat Dechawat Poomjaeng 4-1, while Matthew Stevens made breaks of 60 and 61 to beat Ian Burns 4-2.

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