Judd Trump’s incredible winning run finally came to an end on Tuesday as he was downed 6-3 by Stephen Maguire at the International Championship in Tianjin, China.
The 34-year-old won 22 matches in ranking events on the spin, claiming the English Open, Wuhan Open and Northern Ireland Open on that epic run.
The Ace still looked in sparking form in Tianjin, winning his first two matches 6-0, but Maguire got the better of him in the last 32, to make Trump taste defeat for the first time since the British Open in September.
Maguire very nearly ended Trump’s run in Belfast, losing 5-4 in the quarter-finals after losing 3-1, but the Scot has got the better of the Englishman now.
Frustratingly for fans, the match was not chosen as one of the two televised contests on Tuesday evening in China, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui’s games prioritised and Trump’s game scheduled alongside those two.
The 2019 world champion’s winning run was epic, but some way short of the record, set by Ronnie O’Sullivan at 38 when he turned professional in 1992. Incidentally, with Trump out, the Rocket will remain world number one.
Trump joins a string of big names to fall before the last 16 stage at the International Championship, with Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson, Stuart Bingham and Jack Lisowski all losing earlier on Tuesday.
Allen was downed 6-3 by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Wilson 6-4 by Jordan Brown, Bingham ousted 6-4 by Ali Carter and Lisowski downed 6-2 by Anthony McGill.
This followed early shocks on Monday when world champion Luca Brecel was beaten by Mark Davis, Mark Williams lost to Zhang Anda and Neil Robertson was hammered 6-1 by Daniel Wells.
Big names do remain in Tianjin, though, with Ronnie O’Sullivan beating Jak Jones to set up a last 16 meeting with McGill.
Mark Selby is also still going, taking on fellow Leicester man Tom Ford in the last 16 after a 6-2 victory over Xiao Guodong.
John Higgins has dropped just two frames in back-to-back 6-1 wins over Dylan Emery and David Grace, set to play Jordan Brown next, while Ding Junhui will meet compatriot Pang Junxu in the last 16.
International Championship last 16 schedule
Wednesday 08 November
06.30am (UK time)
John Higgins vs Jordan Brown
Mark Selby vs Tom Ford
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Anthony McGill
Ali Carter vs Daniel Wells
11.30am
Stephen Maguire vs Ryan Day
Barry Hawkins vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Lyu Haotian vs Zhang Anda
Ding Junhui vs Pang Junxu
Trump’s exit means there are only three former winners of the International Championship still in the field – Selby, Higgins and Ding, with O’Sullivan never having gone past the quarter-final before in this event.
Those in the last 16 have already secured themselves £14,000, but will all have their eyes on the huge £175,000 top prize.
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