by elliott west
Snooker was in full swing yesterday as play got underway for day four of the event. Judd Trump was definitely the man of the moment again as he produced a blistering performance against Yan Bingtao. His 4-0 win produced relentless runs of snooker and in the end rewarded him with another whitewash. This included an intended pot of the blue that bounced off multiple cushions before landing in the right-hand baulk pocket. Judd is is producing his best snooker this season and will be hard to stop in his tracks. His formulation of shots and natural flair around the table is a joy to watch and he has a flair for television interviews too.
Mark Allen thought he might be on course for another final when he got to the third round for the first time in the Northern Ireland Open but standing in his way was the talented, Swiss player, Alexander Ursenbacker. The Swiss player is known for the odd upset and yesterday was another of those shock wins. Mark doesn’t seem to have luck on his side at the moment as he is unable to reach the finishing line. A shame because he should have several tournaments under his belt by now this season. To be fair to Allen, it was a close match and a cruel decider is always a sickening way to exit a competition. A 4-3 win for Ursenbacker, puts him into the next round but odds will lengthen for him winning his next match.
Ronnie O’Sullivan showed again that he is still hungry for this title and made light work of Yuan Sijan. O’Sullivan produced snooker that only Judd Trump can match and Yuan quickly became a distant memory as he was polished off, 4-1. There were also wins for Shaun Murphy who exited Barry Hawkins, 4-2, Mark Selby stopped Ken Doherty’s excellent run in this year’s Northern Irish Open, beating him 4-1, Anthony Hamilton returned to form and beat Kyren Wilson in a close match, 4-3 and John Higgins had to play his World Cup teammate, Stephen Maguire and edged him out, 4-3.
The tournament is definitely hitting up and there are a few surprises as we get closer to the winning line. Whether those players who dispatched the elite will continue with good form is anyone’s guess but it is likely that maybe one or two may get to at least the semi-final stages. The toad still looks good for Higgins, Selby, Trump and O’Sullivan but don’t be surprised if some of them fall into exile as another player puts a spanner in the works.
