Judd Trump beats Stuart Bingham 9-7 to retain European Masters title
- Published
Trump recorded two of the five centuries made in the final
World number four Judd Trump retained the European Masters title with a 9-7 win over Stuart Bingham in Belgium.
Former world champion Bingham notched successive centuries to build a 4-2 lead but Trump levelled at 4-4 at the end of the first session.
The players traded centuries after the interval before Trump moved two clear, only for Bingham to level at 7-7.
Trump, 28, moved ahead again and the Bristolian sealed his eighth ranking title with a superb break of 107.
It is the first time Trump has successfully defended a ranking title and he admitted: "It took me a few games to get used to it out there, I haven't played in many tournaments so far this season so I felt I wasn't match sharp in the first few games."
Bingham beat Trump 9-8 in the Welsh Open final in February and a break of 130, his third century of the match, gave him a 5-4 advantage.
Trump levelled with a 107 and then added a 66 to take the lead for the first time at 6-5, swiftly building a two-frame cushion courtesy of a fluked snooker in the next.
Leading 70-39 in frame 15, Trump was snookered behind the black but came off two cushions to not only hit the object yellow but pot it into the centre pocket.
And he wrapped up the match in style with a century following a respectable Bingham break off.
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