Judd Trump beats Si Jiahui 5-2 to set up Shenzhen Open quarter-final with Mark Selby

Judd Trump beat Si Jiahui 5-2 in the Shenzhen Open last 16 in Shenzhen, China, on 1 October, earning a quarter-final against Mark Selby. The match is scheduled for 2 October at 06:00 UTC, according to the tournament results page. Trump’s win keeps him in contention at the ranking event after a contest that was level at 2-2 before he took control.

Trump won the final three frames, according to TNT Sports’ live coverage. BBC Sport reported breaks of 80, 71, 53 and 54 across the match, while TNT said the victory extended Trump’s career head-to-head record against Si to 10-1. The decisive run followed a close opening stretch and took Trump through to the last eight.

How Trump pulled clear against Si Jiahui

TNT Sports’ frame-by-frame account shows Trump moving 3-2 ahead after a break of 53 in the fifth frame. He then made 54 in the sixth, building a 4-2 lead and leaving Si needing to win the remaining frames to stay in the tournament. The scoreline records a comfortable margin, but the live account shows that the players were level before Trump won three frames in succession.

The seventh frame was less straightforward. TNT Sports recorded a re-rack and a series of missed chances before Si failed to pot the yellow. BBC Sport reported that an LED advertising screen behind the table flashed blue in Trump’s line of sight as he potted the yellow. Trump showed frustration, the BBC said, but cleared the remaining colours to complete the 5-2 victory. TNT’s account also noted screens going off around the table as he finished the frame.

When Trump plays Mark Selby

Selby reached the quarter-finals with a 5-3 win over Stephen Maguire. BBC Sport reported that his highest break in that match was 99. The tournament results page pairs Selby with Trump in a best-of-nine quarter-final scheduled for 06:00 UTC on Friday, 2 October — 07:00 BST. That is a scheduled start time and may change.

TNT Sports reported Selby’s assessment of his match as a struggle rather than a fluent performance. ‘It was just a scrap really. I am always out there fighting,’ Selby said after beating Maguire. He added that he would like to play one-visit snooker, but that it does not always happen. Both players therefore arrive at their meeting after wins that required them to negotiate difficult passages, even though each ultimately prevailed by more than one frame.

Their recent meetings give the fixture an additional point of reference. TNT Sports said Selby beat Trump 10-8 in the UK final and 10-5 in the Champion of Champions title match last season. Those earlier results do not settle the Shenzhen contest; they explain why the scheduled quarter-final brings together players with recent experience of high-stakes matches against each other.

The rest of the Shenzhen Open quarter-final draw

The tournament draw lists three other quarter-finals. Chris Wakelin, who beat Neil Robertson 5-2, is due to play Jimmy Robertson, a 5-0 winner over Scott Donaldson. Yuan Sijun, who beat Zak Surety 5-2, is paired with Michael Holt, who eliminated Kyren Wilson 5-2. In the remaining tie, Shaun Murphy faces Wu Yize after victories over Elliot Slessor and Ricky Walden respectively.

Murphy beat Slessor 5-1 and Wu defeated Walden 5-3, according to the tournament results page. BBC Sport reported that Wu is the world champion and that his meeting with Murphy repeats their Crucible final in May. The Shenzhen event runs from 28 September to 4 October at Bao’an Sports Centre, according to snooker.org. Trump and Selby’s scheduled Friday match will determine which of them takes a place in the semi-finals.