Trump shakes off Selt to reach NI Open third round

Judd Trump has won the Northern Ireland Open in four of the past six years

Four-time winner Judd Trump advanced to the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Open with a 4-2 victory over Matthew Selt at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

The reigning champion, who whitewashed Ishpreet Singh Chadha in the opening round, took the first frame against Selt before slipping 2-1 behind.

Selt had an opening in the fourth frame to pile on the pressure, but world number one Trump produced a run of 74 to level the match.

The 35-year-old then took the next two frames to book a date with John Higgins or Barry Hawkins in the third round, with a 141 to seal the win giving him a second century break of the tournament.

In Tuesday's other second-round matches, China's Tian Pengfei beat Robert Milkins 4-1, with Louis Heathcote advancing past Jimmy Robertson by the same margin and former world champion Stuart Bingham a 4-0 winner against Mark Davis.

In the concluding first-round matches on Tuesday, world champion Kyren Wilson endured a scare against David Grace to book his place in the last-32.

WIlson had an 80 break on his way to a 3-0 lead but was pegged back to level terms before dominating the decider for a 4-3 win.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams enjoyed a far more comfortable opener, with a whitewash over his fellow Welshman Jamie Clarke.

Shaun Murphy fought back from 2-0 down to win four straight frames as he overcame Zhou Yuelong to reach the last 16 where will meet another former world champion Stuart Bingham, who defeated Mark Davis 4-0.

Murphy, whose strong start to the season has included reaching the final of the Shanghai Masters and semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, looked set to go 3-0 down only to pinch the third frame after being 60-0 in arrears.

And after levelling at 2-2, breaks of 77 and 103 secured Murphy's victory.

Murphy had earlier lent his cue to Noppon Saengkham after the Thai player's own had gone missing and Saengkham went on to beat compatriot Thepchaiya Un-nooh 4-3.

"If he needs it again, he's welcome to it. Unless we meet in the final...then he's in trouble," Murphy told World Snooker.

World number 11 Ali Carter was stunned 4-1 by 21-year-old Chinese player Ma Hailong, while England's Oliver Lines overcame Wu Yize by the same score to set up a meeting with home favourite and world number three Mark Allen in the last 32.

Last year's beaten finalist Chris Wakelin maintain his title hopes by beating Hungarian teenager Bulcsu Revesz 4-2.