Dominant Trump edges closer to quarter-finals with six-frame lead over Ford

Judd Trump extended his lead over Tom Ford in the World Snooker Championship second round, carving out a six-frame advantage going into tomorrow morning’s session.

The 2019 world champion began Friday with a 6-2 lead over Ford. The pair had shared the first four frames in yesterday’s opening session, before Trump upped the ante and cruised into a four-frame lead.

By the end of their latest session, Trump had extended his lead to 11-5 and will need to win just two more frames tomorrow to progress to the quarter-finals.

Trump, the world No. 2, had been some way shy of his best in Thursday’s session, but quickly picked up another frame at the outset on Friday to take a 7-2 lead.

He did so by bagging his 77th century break of the season, a 107 as he picked up where he left off. He set it up with a fabulous long red to open the table, before firing in a yellow.

Ford was forced to sit and suffer while Trump, in typical fashion, produced long pots and exhibition shots once the frame was sealed, much to the delight of the Crucible crowd.

In the next, Trump erred on a long red, giving Ford an opportune table and allowing him to take a much-needed frame, his first since before yesterday’s interval. He made 73 before a tough black stuck in the jaws, but got the frame over the line.

That didn’t stop Trump flowing with confidence though. He made a sharp 67 break and Ford left him the chance to pot the final red, with Trump hammering it home from distance to lead 8-3.

The next was slightly more back and forth. Ford split the pack early but was unlucky not to capitalise. Trump took back control before missing a long red to hand Ford an opportunity, which he was unable to take, opening up a six-frame lead before the interval.

Trump’s hopes of wrapping up the victory with a session to spare were quashed when Ford won the 13th frame. The world No. 14 made a fast start to the 14th frame, but lost his grip on the session again by missing a black off the spot.

This allowed Trump to swoop in and restore his six-frame lead, before extending this to seven frames as he thrilled the crowd at the Crucible with two pinks and a long red.

Trailing 11-4, Ford produced an 83 break to make the scoreline marginally more respectable heading into the final session tomorrow.