Trump recovers to beat Robertson at UK Championship

Judd Trump won the UK Championship in 2011 and lost in the final in both 2014 and 2020

World number one Judd Trump won five frames in a row as he fought back from 3-1 down to beat three-time UK champion Neil Robertson 6-3 and move into the last 16 in York.

Australian Robertson had a glorious chance to move 4-1 ahead but missed the penultimate ball and that proved to be the turning point in the match.

Trump then made breaks of 73, 126 and 67 to move 5-3 ahead, and sealed the ninth frame to set up a tie with three-time champion John Higgins.

Robertson, 18th in the world, had to come through two rounds of qualifying to get to York and this was one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the first round.

However, both players were critical of the conditions at York Barbican, with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, speaking on BBC TV, saying the table was "unplayable".

"I'm glad Stephen said it was unplayable because that was as tough as I'd ever played on," said 2010 world champion Robertson. "It was as unplayable as it gets in professional conditions. Being such a tough sport anyway it can make either player look stupid.

"This venue and the conditions usually play well - it's not the table fitters' fault. The arena felt fine and I don't understand it. With the bounce off the cushions it can fly two or three feet further on and you're out of position.

"I can't really fault my performance, it was just really tough going out there."

All players struggling with the conditions - Trump

Judd Trump and Neil Robertson have won the UK Championship four times between them

Trump was pleased to get through the match and agreed the conditions did not make it easy.

When asked if they were the worst he had played in as a professional, he responded: "I've played in some bad conditions, but that was close.

"It's disappointing as it seems to be the bigger events. It was very heavy all the time. I've always struggled here because the tables are so heavy.

"Hopefully they can change them. All the players have been struggling - hopefully they can do something about it."

A World Snooker Tour (WST) spokesperson said: "We always strive to provide the best possible conditions and welcome feedback from players.

"The recent weather has seen a large volume of rainfall and high humidity around the country. This can negatively influence the conditions."

Although unhappy with the conditions, Trump was pleased with how he performed to fight back and claim victory.

"It was scrappy to start with and I managed to get a bit of momentum after it went 3-2 and I raised my game. I played as well as I could play on that table.

"I'm pleased with the way I battled through and the way I was able to turn it around."

Three-time UK champion Higgins cruises through

John Higgins, 49, is more than twice the age of his 24-year-old opponent

Earlier on Tuesday, four-time world champion Higgins produced a superb performance to gain a 6-0 win over China's He Guoqiang and move into the last 16 of the UK Championship.

Higgins, 49, made breaks of 110, 92, 72 and 64 as he dominated his 24-year-old Chinese opponent, a player down at 60th in the world rankings and who had to get through three qualifying rounds to get to York.

The 14th-seeded Scot has won this tournament three times, in 1998, 2000 and 2010, and also lost in the final in 1996 and 2009.

Against He, Higgins scored a total of 554 points, compared to only 107 from his opponent, for the second 6-0 tournament win in two days after Kyren Wilson thrashed Stephen Maguire by the same score on Monday.

"When I play like that I'm a match for anyone," said Higgins. "I got off to a decent start and put the pressure on him. He had a few chances but it's difficult out there when things go wrong.

"It's a special venue, but I've never really done great here and it’s a great venue to play in."