Judd Trump continued his remarkable performance in 2024 by defeating Barry Hawkins 4-2 in the last 16 of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, maintaining his impressive streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every tournament this year. As the leading player on the tour and currently ranked world number one, Trump has made it to the last eight in 15 consecutive events, claiming victory in four of them, finishing as a finalist in two others, and accumulating over £1.5 million in prize money.
Defending his title in Belfast, Trump has successfully lifted the trophy four times since 2018. In his match against Hawkins, he showcased his skill with breaks of 69, 63, and 105, securing his place in a highly anticipated quarter-final against Shaun Murphy at the Waterfront Hall, set for 7 PM on Friday.
Another standout player, Neil Robertson, is also in fine form following his victory at the BetVictor English Open last month. He is just three wins away from becoming the first player to claim all four Home Nations trophies. Robertson comfortably beat Oliver Lines 4-1, achieving top breaks of 76, 65, 53, and 107. He expressed excitement about the opportunity to complete the Home Nations set as he prepares to face Pang Junxu in the next round.
Louis Heathcote is enjoying a career-best run after defeating Tian Pengfei 4-2, marking his second quarter-final appearance, the first being in the 2021 Shoot Out. With breaks of 72, 87, 80, and 57, the 27-year-old Heathcote expressed his happiness at progressing this far, feeling focused and composed during the match.
He will now compete against Elliot Slessor, who advanced to his ninth ranking event quarter-final with a 4-1 win over Lei Peifan. The upcoming quarter-finals feature Neil Robertson versus Pang Junxu at noon, Kyren Wilson facing Mark Williams not before 2 PM, and the highly anticipated clash of Judd Trump against Shaun Murphy at 7 PM, along with Heathcote against Slessor.
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