Speedy Trump Leaves Captain Grounded
Judd Trump made short work of Ali Carter at the 918.com German Masters, winning 5-0 to reach the last 16.
Trump was in action for just 81 minutes at the Tempodrom in Berlin as he fired breaks of 92, 109 and 80 to set up a meeting with China’s Zhang Anda on Thursday night.
“It’s nice to cruise through in the first round,” said world number five Trump, who is yet to win a tournament this season. “I feel as if my game is there, I need to just keep putting myself in the right situation in the later stages of tournaments.
“If I play like that I’ll have a chance. I’m always inconsistent, I play great one day then struggle the next. I need to find the consistency that Neil Robertson showed when he won two titles in a row before Christmas.”
Zhang also enjoyed a 5-0 win, beating Alfie Burden with top breaks of 53 and 67 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time since the 2013 Australian Goldfields Open.
Barry Hawkins, runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Masters, scored a 5-2 win over Alan McManus to earn a meeting with Graeme Dott. Hawkins made a vital 63 clearance to lead 3-1 at the interval, and after losing the fifth frame he took the last two with a top run of 50.
Shaun Murphy was the highest profile casualty of the day as he lost 5-4 to Ben Woollaston. Murphy led 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but each time he was pegged back by his opponent. Woollaston, runner-up at the Welsh Open last season, eventually won the decider with a break of 68.
Martin Gould was another 5-4 winner, edging out Mark Williams.