World number one Judd Trump recovered from a slow start to defeat Gary Wilson in their first-round match.
Trump, the 2019 champion, lost four of the first five frames as Wilson, ranked 27th, moved into a 4-1 lead.
But Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to hold a 5-4 advantage.
However, Wilson, a three-time ranking event winner, made the highest break of the session with a superb 139 clearance in frame five.
In the second session later on Tuesday, Wilson made a break of 58 to make it 5-5, but Trump pulled clear by winning five in a row to seal a 10-5 success.
Trump, 36, has been top of the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that run if he reaches the quarter-finals.
“I like being number one, it’s going to be difficult to keep it unless I do really well in the next season but I take a lot of pride in it,” he said.
Trump lives in Dubai but, because of the recent conflict in the Middle East, he left the area temporarily.
“I had to stay in Thailand for a month, and I managed to practice for the World Championship, but it has been more back to normal now,” he said.
“Dubai is still my base, I’ve been back there in the last couple of weeks and everything is normal.”
A downbeat Wilson, speaking to BBC Four, said: “It’s just constant disappointment. I am, and always have been since the age of 13, a better player than this.
“It’s a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I’m just riding through it.”
Source:
www.bbc.com
