Judd Trump secured his spot in the quarter-finals of the BetVictor English Open with a 4-2 victory over Fan Zhengyi on Thursday. The Chinese player put up a tough fight, leading Trump twice in the match, but the defending champion’s quality prevailed in the end. Next up for Trump is an encounter with the talented Wu Yize, who also advanced with a 4-2 win over Ben Woollaston.

In a thrilling contest, Trump rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to clinch the win, highlighted by a century break in the fourth frame. The match followed Mark Selby’s grueling victory over Si Jiahui, which caused a delay in the afternoon session.

After the match, Trump spoke to Eurosport about the challenges of the tournament format, saying, “It’s always difficult going on not knowing what time you’re gonna play. It’s extremely tough in this format, roll on, roll off, and the conditions aren’t playing great either, the balls are going a bit awkward. It’s just an absolute battle out there. I just try my best, that’s all I can do. He started very promising, I thought he was going to be difficult.”

Fan made a strong start, benefiting from a fluke red on his first shot and capitalizing with a break of 74 to take the opening frame. Trump struggled initially but managed to level the match in the second frame. Fan continued to pose a challenge with a break of 52 in the third frame, but his momentum faltered in the fourth when he missed a crucial red, allowing Trump to seize control.

Despite the early setbacks, Trump’s class ultimately shone through as he closed out the match with three consecutive frame wins. The victory sets up an exciting clash with Wu Yize in the quarter-finals, promising another thrilling contest for snooker fans to enjoy.