Judd Trump progresses at Welsh Open with nervy win over Louis Heathcote to set up clash with Daniel Wells

Judd Trump advanced to the third round of the Welsh Open with a hard-fought 4-2 win over Louis Heathcote.

This was the second meeting between Trump and Heathcote after coming up against each other at the English Open three years ago.

Trump came out top on that occasion, and did so again here in North Wales after playing out six frames against the plucky 25-year-old to go through.

Trump won the first frame in a scrappy start to the match, with a break of 55 ultimately decisive in drawing first blood in the contest.

A long black put Trump 36 points ahead with only 35 left on the table, and he subsequently set a snooker for Heathcote as the frame came to a close.

Heathcote left a potting chance on the last red, which Trump accepted before taking the black and brown to move 1-0 ahead.

Heathcote began the next frame in an aggressive manner, after emerging on top following a long safety battle. The way in which the reds fell, along with the available black ball, allowed him to build up a lead in quick time.

He levelled the scores with a break of 44, despite missing a black off its spot at the end.

The world No. 76 grew in confidence and took the third frame, with the momentum shifting in his favour after Trump failed to pot a long red to the right corner.

Heathcote was able to accept the gift of that red ball before going for the black. He took down two more reds and colours to move into a 35-point lead.

There were four reds left on the table, and Heathcote took two of those before potting the black and closing with a break of 45.

However, Trump, a two-time Welsh Open finalist, levelled the frame after Heathcote’s red kissed the green and gave Trump a pottable yellow.

He duly accepted the gift, along with the pink to leave a tough mid-distance yellow to pot, which he managed.

Trump really motored on from here and potted a tricky-looking green before the brown, and then potted a superb long blue to the green pocket. A pink followed before the black to level things off at 2-2.

Trump moved one frame away from victory with an incredible clearance to move 3-2 ahead, and Heathcote needed a big response to stay in the contest.

The sixth and final frame ultimately went Trump’s way, but Heathcote certainly didn’t go down without a fight.

Trump sunk a difficult pot to the left corner and then followed on with the blue, but the reds were not set up right.

A safety battle followed and Heathcote was able to pot an opening red and followed that up with three more to move into the lead.

Just when it looked like Heathcote could level things up however, he missed a red to the left corner.

The door was open for Trump, who recovered from a missed green by sinking a red to the left corner.

This topsy-turvy frame finally came to an end when Trump potted a tricky pot to the yellow pocket, before powering in the brown to finish things off.

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