JUDD Trump became the first player to qualify for the Winners Group of the 2012 Championship League with a 3-2 victory over Shaun Murphy in Group One at Crondon Park Golf Club, Essex.
The 22-year-old, who last month trilled the York crowd with his brand of entertaining snooker en route to the UK Championship title, recorded breaks of 121 and 118 during his victory over Murphy.
Trump picks up £6,000 for his efforts and will return to the venue in March to participate in the Winners Group, with the eventual victor earning a place in this autumn’s Premier League.
Murphy earned £5,500 for his efforts and will return to take part in Group Two, starting on Wednesday, where he will be joined by Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson, Mark Davis, Stuart Bingham and Matthew Stevens.
Following his victory, Trump said: “I saved my best performance for the final and I had missed quite a few shots every day, but then again everyone did and no one is that sharp after Christmas
“I’m glad I won the final as Shaun played well and really pushed me.
“Of the competitions I’ve gone in, I’m doing well or winning in 50 per cent at the moment and that brings a lot of confidence and I’m taking more shots on.
“I’m not thinking about missing and I’m getting a lot of chances and taking them but there will be a time when safety play has to come in.
“My game has improved by 50 per cent since this time last year and the confidence I’ve got is the main part of that. I’ve always been a good player but lacked that killer edge when playing on TV or in tournaments like this but now I’m so confident.
“The Premier League is a big part of the season and it’s always nice to get the TV coverage and play on TV every week. You get to travel to different venues, there’s always a packed crowd and it’s really good to watch.”
Monday, January 9 and Tuesday, January 10
Mark Selby (1), Judd Trump (5), Shaun Murphy (6), Ali Carter (10), Matthew Stevens (13), Mark Davis (17) and Andrew Higginson (19).
FIXTURES (ALL MATCHES ARE FIRST TO 3)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10
DAY TWO (times are approximate)
FINAL
TABLE 1 Judd Trump 3-2 Shaun Murphy
25-84 (Murphy 84), 121-1 (Trump 121), 19-65 (Murphy 65), 118-0 (Trump 118), 75-8 (Trump 67).
SEMI-FINALS
TABLE 1 Mark Selby 1-3 Judd Trump
13-75 (Trump 56), 39-87 (Selby 39, Trump 79), 96-0 (Selby 96), 0-84 (Trump 84)
TABLE 2 Mark Davis 1-3 Shaun Murphy
66-71 (Davis 38, Murphy 43), 92-15 (Davis 70), 29-76 (Murphy 61), 43-70 (Davis 34, Murphy 61)
LEAGUE PHASE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10
DAY TWO (times are approximate)
TABLE 1
Matthew Stevens 1-3 Mark Davis
19-83 (Davis 77), 9-82 (Davis 45, 37), 66-43 (Stevens 48), 27-71 (Davis 31, 31)
Judd Trump 3-2 Andrew Higginson
19-113 (Higginson 91), 137-0 (Trump 131), 119-0 (Trump 119), 30-64, 67-40 (Trump 50, Higginson 32)
Mark Selby 1-3 Andrew Higginson
1-135 (Higginson 135), 70-5 (Selby 53), 9-82 (Higginson 52), 17-73 (Higginson 73)
Shaun Murphy 2-3 Ali Carter
9-118 (Carter 118), 4-79 (Carter 67), 69-63 (Murphy 69, Carter 49), 110-1 (Murphy 110), 15-57 (Carter 49)
TABLE 2
Mark Selby 3-2 Ali Carter
6-72 (Carter 67), 0-75 (Carter 65), 142-0 (Selby 110), 80-0 (Selby 58), 63-16 (Selby 43)
Shaun Murphy 3-0 Mark Davis
71-0 (Murphy 71), 124-6 (71, 53), 70-47 (Davis 36)
Matthew Stevens 3-0 Ali Carter
79-0 (Stevens 79), 64-23 (Stevens 43), 67-57 (Stevens 67, Carter 57)
Mark Selby 3-2 Mark Davis
22-71 (Davis 49), 0-78 (Davis 78), 70-38 (Selby 48), 68-40 (Davis 35), 90-37 (Selby 90, Davis 36)
Judd Trump 0-3 Matthew Stevens
64-72 (Trump 64, Stevens 72), 45-57 (Trump 44, Stevens 50), 0-136 (Stevens 45, 91)
MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012
DAY ONE (times are approximate)
TABLE 1
Matthew Stevens 1-3 Mark Selby
31-64, 72-32 (Selby 46), 37-78 (Selby 77), 0-106 (Selby, 38, 68)
Ali Carter 1-3 Mark Davis
73-40, 0-67 (Davis 67), 0-74 (Davis 73), 4-82 (Davis 41)
Mark Selby 3-2 Shaun Murphy
77-38, 0-76, 77-38 (Selby 77, Murphy 38), 71-45 (Selby 66, Murphy 45), 60-49 (Selby 59)
Mark Davis 3-1 Andrew Higginson
85-25 (Higginson 78), 133-0 (Davis 133), 61-70 (Davis 61, Higginson 70), 66-7 (Davis 66)
Mark Selby 3-1 Judd Trump
48-65 (Selby 40, Trump 35), 76-24 (Selby 76), 73-42 (Selby 46, Trump 42), 92-48 (Selby 92)
Shaun Murphy 3-1 Andrew Higginson
105-0 (Murphy 105), 31-96 (Higginson 96), 86-0 (Murphy 86), 119-0 (Murphy 115)
TABLE 2
Shaun Murphy 2-3 Judd Trump
93-37 (Murphy 31, 58), 84-11 (Murphy 84), 17-69 (Trump 64), 0-79 (Trump 45, 34), 27-75 (Trump 47)
Andrew Higginson 3-1 Matthew Stevens
71-0 (Higginson 40), 77-0 (Higginson 38, 49), 7-60 (Stevens 31), 113-0 (Higginson 52, 56)
Judd Trump 3-0 Ali Carter
69-14 (Trump 69), 68-58 (Carter 53), 110-5 (Trump 110)
Matthew Stevens 2-3 Shaun Murphy
73-54 (Murphy 52), 11-82, 0-75 (Murphy 53), 108-5 (Stevens 83), 0-69 (Murphy 54)
Ali Carter 3-0 Andrew Higginson
74-16 (Carter 47), 109-0 (Carter 101), 126-1 (Carter 120)
Mark Davis 3-2 Judd Trump
66-2 (Davis 57), 31-73 (Davis 31, Trump 40), 0-109 (Trump 109), 81-0 (Davis 77), 70-45 (Davis 45)
CENTURY BREAKS
135 – Andrew Higginson v Mark Selby (10/1)
133 – Mark Davis v Andrew Higginson (9/1)
131 – Judd Trump v Andrew Higginson (10/1)
121 – Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy (10/1)
120 – Ali Carter v Andrew Higginson (9/1)
119 – Judd Trump v Andrew Higginson (10/1)
118 – Ali Carter v Shaun Murphy (10/1)
118 – Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy (10/1)
115 – Shaun Murphy v Andrew Higginson (9/1)
110 – Judd Trump v Ali Carter (9/1)
110 – Mark Selby v Ali Carter (10/1)
110 – Shaun Murphy v Ali Carter (10/1)
109 – Judd Trump v Mark Davis (9/1)
105 – Shaun Murphy v Andrew Higginson (9/1)
101 – Ali Carter v Andrew Higginson (9/1)