World Open snooker 2024: Judd Trump secures second crown after five-year absence with impressive win over Ding Junhui

Updated 25/03/2024 at 10:03 GMT

Judd Trump secured his second World Open title with a 10-4 win over Ding Junhui in Yushan, China. The world No. 2 showed his quality to overcome the home favourite, who had had to endure a marathon semi-final with Neil Robertson the day before. A final pink pot gave the Bristolian top seed the victory, in a match where he racked up two excellent centuries, including a 130 break.

Trump lifts World Open trophy after latest inspired success

Judd Trump has secured his second World Open title with a 10-4 win over Ding Junhui in Yushan.

The Bristolian, the event’s top seed, repeated his 2019 success after five years away from the tournament, and he stamped his authority on the final in the early stages, building a big lead that left the home favourite Ding struggling to keep the pace.

Trump had overcome Jackson Page 6-2 in the semi-finals to reach the grand final, while Ding, the 11th seed, whitewashed Ronnie O’Sullivan’s conqueror Hossein Vafaei 5-0 in the quarter-finals before scraping past Neil Robertson 6-5 in the last four.

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But here, in front of a partisan crowd rooting for Ding, the gulf in class was vast.

After a marathon first frame that Trump finally put to an end with an excellent long pot, a second painful frame followed where both men could not find their best form, but it was the English world No. 2 who doubled his lead after Ding conceded the frame.

An 88 break had Trump up handsomely in the third, before Ding finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth after two brilliant long reds.

A brave blue from the Chinese rattled the jaws of the pocket in the dying embers of a tense fifth frame, and it gave Trump the opportunity to seize the initiative once more, developing and sinking the pink to snatch it 4-1 after poor misses from both parties.

The sixth frame was less close, as another Ding concession ended a one-sided affair after another miss from the 11th seed, this time on the penultimate red, and Trump had hit him for six not long after.

A 78 break had Trump up 7-1 and steaming towards glory, but the first century of the match would go the way of the home favourite, who drew a rousing ovation from the Chinese support.

However, it was indeed a case of “Anything you can do, I can do better,”, as Trump responded in some style - a 130 break - to re-establish a six-frame lead at 8-2, with the pick of the bunch being an outstanding blue that would be a contender for shot of the season so far.

Trump pulls further clear of Ding in final with magnificent 130 clearance

Ding added another frame to his tally in the 11th to come from behind and take it within one visit, but another century was rounded off by Trump with a delicate red into the top right.

Ding took what would turn out to be the penultimate frame, but with a final flourish of the pink, the trophy was Trump’s once again.