Judd Trump survives Ajaib scare to reach European Masters quarter-final

Judd Trump defeated Farakh Ajaib 5-4 in an extraordinary match in order to book his place in the quarter-finals of the European Masters. Virtual unknown Ajaib was on the cusp of a huge upset, pushing his opponent to the ‘snookers required’ stage of the final frame, before a stroke of luck favoured Trump and enabled him to steal the match.

The former world champion established an early lead, taking advantage of a missed black to make a 102 break. The second frame was scrappy, but Trump did enough to get over the finish line and move two frames in front. But then the Pakistani player started digging in his heels, winning frame three and then getting the better of his opponent in a safety exchange, enabling him to draw level.

Trump took frame five with a break of 88, and then he edged the sixth to move within one frame of victory. It looked a foregone conclusion, but Ajaib clearly didn’t agree with that. He won frame seven, and then breaks of 69 and 51 moved things to a decider.

Things were tense, and about to get tenser. Ajaib wasted the first chance after potting his first red, then Trump ran out of position on a break of 19. The Pakistani responded with a brilliant break of 49, before playing safe. Trump got closer, with 35 left on the table, and snookered his opponent. Ajaib took three attempts to escape, and then a red and black moved the English player seven points behind his opponent with just the colours remaining.

If he can keep up that form there’s no doubt he’ll be in at the deep end of a few events

– Judd Trump

Trump fouled, and Ajaib took control, with a brilliant long yellow and a green. The brown was near the cushion – Ajaib went for a cross-double, and got it. Trump returned to the table needing a snooker, and he laid one – Ajaib hit the blue as required, only for the cue ball to run into a pocket in a heart-breaking moment for the Pakistani player. Trump cleared up, potting blue, pink and an awkward black on the cushion to steal a match that looked to be getting away from him.

After the match, Trump said: “He was probably the better player. He looked like he was hitting the ball well, his long potting was good… I knew from the way he was playing it was going to be a tough game. He looks to have improved a hell of a lot.

“He dug in well, started scoring well, he was really fluent in amongst the balls. With only three balls left and the black on the cushion you give up all hope, a bit of a miracle really.

“Still a tricky black under pressure down the rail, so I’m happy about that.

“He looked really at home out there to me. I don’t think he had a great run when he was on tour before, but whatever he’s done is working. He looks to me as if he could shoot up the ranking at any point.

“If he can keep up that form there’s no doubt he’ll be in at the deep end of a few events.”

Trump will face Barry Hawkins in the quarter-final. Hawkins’ run to the final eight was far less stressful, the result of a comfortable 5-0 win over Robert Milkins.