'We were both struggling' - Judd Trump and Ryan Day unhappy with table in Masters first round epic

ByIbrahim Mustapha

Updated 11/01/2023 at 20:20 GMT

Both Judd Trump and Ryan Day spoke out against the state of the table in their Masters first round epic at Alexandra Palace. Although the match was a thriller with Trump edging through 6-5, both players felt the table was 'heavy' making it difficult to control their shots. Stream the 2023 Masters and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

Although their Masters first round epic was one that thrilled the Alexandra Palace crowd and fans beyond, neither Judd Trump nor Ryan Day were best pleased with the table at the venue.

As Trump eventually triumphed 6-5, the match featured several misplaced shots and faults from both players over the course of their marathon match-up.

During the match, Dominic Dale on Eurosport commentary frequently pointed out that the table looked ‘heavy’ meaning players were unable to place their shots as they would like and the ball running somewhat wayward at times.

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When Trump joined the Eurosport pundits after the match, Alan McManus referred to the table as ‘Iffy’ when asking about the conditions, something the match-winner agreed with.

“It was difficult,” said Trump. “Anytime you started to get a little rhythm, the ball just got away from you all the time.

“You couldn’t keep close control and that kept me edgy throughout the whole game. I never relaxed at any point.

“And because the table was a little bit heavier, coming in so late in the tournament can sometimes be a bit of a disadvantage but we were both struggling a little bit.

“Ryan adjusted just that little bit quicker.”

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Day took the lead in the first frame, forcing Trump to play catch-up for the majority of the match.

A major miss from the 2019 champion featured the ball smashing the jaws of a corner before flying off the table.

Day also found himself unlucky late on when he saw a red from the middle pocket as he potted a cut-back black.

• 'I think I punched the air by accident' - Trump admits relief after coming through epic with Day
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When speaking to Rachel Casey following the defeat, Day also had complaints about the table.

“The table was quite difficult to play on,” he said.

“The cloth was very heavy and the conditions probably shouldn’t be like that”.

'He didn't deserve that' - Luckless Day sees red go in about sinking impressive black in Trump epic

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Stream the 2023 Masters and more top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

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