Judd Trump has extended his winning run to 17 matches as he keeps his hopes alive of winning three straight ranking events, but admits he does not have much left in the tank.
The 34-year-old is into the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open after a dramatic 4-3 win over Noppon Saengkham on Thursday night and will take on Stephen Maguire in the last eight on Friday night.
It has been a sensational few weeks for the former world champion, winning the English Open, Wuhan Open and now bidding to claim the Northern Ireland Open for a fourth time.
‘It’s very tough off the back of a couple of long weeks, I don’t know how I’m still going,’ said Trump after downing Noppon late on Thursday night. ‘It’s so draining playing this many games.
‘Every day I wake up hoping I’m not flat and I’m still excited. I go out there hoping the crowd will help and I’m trying to do it for my family who have always supported me. There is not a lot left in the tank but I am trying to see out the week and then have a break.
‘This might be the only time I get the chance to win three in a row because it’s hard enough to win one, let alone two and then be in another quarter-final.
‘I had to dig in tonight and luckily Noppon missed a couple of crucial balls and I got my chance in the end. When you’re in the winning habit it’s easier to make those breaks in the last frame.’
Maguire is into his first ranking quarter-final for over a year after edging out Joe Perry 4-3 and maybe regaining a bit of love for the game which has drained in recent times.
The Glaswegian has not entered the upcoming Scottish Open because he does not want to play in the qualifies in Leicester, but could be regretting that decision after finding form this week
He told the Scottish Sun earlier this month: ‘I can’t keep driving down to Leicester and places like that for qualifiers It’s getting me down a bit.
‘It’s my fault I’m having to go to qualifiers, but I’m finding it difficult to enjoy. I’ve had to take a step back. I don’t play as much any more. The ones I do enter I’ll be trying my hardest in.’
The first quarter-final on Friday sees Jack Lisowski take on Ricky Walden, with Lisowski joking that his good pal Trump has had enough time in the sun, saying: ‘I think he’s won enough now, he’s getting a bit greedy.’
Lisowski beat Aaron Hill to make the last eight, tipping the Irish youngster for the top, while relishing a clash with Walden, who is into his first quarter-final of 2023.
‘It was great to play Aaron, he’s going to have a big future in the game,’ said Lisowski. ‘The best of sevens are tricky because they can change so quickly so it’s good to be into the best of nines with an interval.
‘Ricky Walden hits the ball so cleanly and I always enjoy playing him. Hopefully I can keep up my standard. The dream would be to win my first title against Judd in the final.’
The other two quarter-finals see Barry Hawkins face Dave Gilbert and Chris Wakelin take on Yuan Sijun.
Last season’s Shoot Out champion, Wakelin, beat Shaun Murphy in the last 16 and is feeling good as he looks to make his first ranking semi, outside of the one-frame carnage of the Shoot Out.
‘I felt I controlled the match well and put pressure on Shaun,’ said Wakelin. ‘I haven’t been past the quarter-finals of a ranking event other than the Shoot Out in my career so far, but I won’t be going into tomorrow scared of getting to a semi or a final or lifting more silverware.
‘I genuinely feel I should be in the later stages of tournaments and I think performances like today show that.’
MORE : Mark Allen’s epic Northern Ireland Open winning streak ended by Estonia’s Andres Petrov
MORE : Judd Trump wins inaugural Wuhan Open to claim two titles in two weeks in two continents
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