Judd Trump sets up last 16 clash with Farakh Ajaib at European Masters after win over Andrew Higginson

Judd Trump continued his bid to claim a third European Masters crown by beating Andrew Higginson 5-3 to reach the last 16.

The world No.2 saved his best until last, producing a masterful century clearance (103) in the final frame to set up a clash with Farakh Ajaib.

Trump took the opening two frames, but a 98 break from 2007 Welsh Open runner-up Higginson got him back into the best-of-nine contest in the third frame.

It continued an impressive start from Higginson, despite the scoreline, and Trump needed a reaction.

The fourth frame was a scrappy affair, but Trump took it 76-20 to restore his two-frame advantage going into the interval.

Higginson fought back again as Trump conceded the fourth frame to make it 3-2, but a 67 break from the 2019 world champion, his best of the match at that stage, helped him move one frame from victory.

A break of 66 from Higginson kept the contest alive as he took the seventh frame, but Trump finished strongly to put the tie to bed.

It was an 11th victory in 13 meetings for the world No. 2, and his second win this year against Higginson, after a 4-0 victory in the Gibraltar Open first round in March.

Elsewhere at the Stadthalle, Yan Bingtao looked strong as he demolished Ricky Walden 5-0 to go through.

He will face Jamie Jones next, after the Welshman’s 5-1 win over Mark Joyce, while Barry Hawkins has also progressed after defeating Stuart Carrington 5-1.

Ali Carter edged past Stuart Bingham 5-4, courtesy of an excellent 103 break in the deciding frame.

Mark Williams took centre stage in the evening session and got the better of fellow Welshman Dominic Dale with a 5-3 victory.

World no.7 Williams was the big favourite against a player ranked 53 places below him, but Dale took the opening frame.

Three-time world champion Williams fought back by taking the following two, rattling through an outstanding 135 break in the third frame, but he went into the interval level after Dale struck back in the fourth to make it 2-2.

The pair again exchanged a frame apiece, before Williams took control with breaks of 55 and 71 in the final two frames to set up a last 16 tie against Zhou Yuelong.

World no.10 Shaun Murphy saw off Chris Wakelin 5-3 to progress and he will face the man who sits two spots above him in the rankings, Kyren Wilson, in the last 16 after the Englishman defeated Jimmy Robertson 5-2.

THURSDAY RESULTS

Third round

10:00 BST

• Si Jiahui 5-3 Xiao Guodong
• Wu Yize 5-0 Rory McLeod
• Ali Carter 5-4 Stuart Bingham
• David Grace 5-0 Jackson Page
• Farakh Ajaib 5-3 Marco Fu
• Ricky Walden 0-5 Yan Bingtao

14.30 BST

• Scott Donaldson 2-5 Ryan Day
• Judd Trump 5-3 Andrew Higginson
• Stuart Carrington 1-5 Barry Hawkins
• Robert Milkins 5-4 Zhao Xintong
• Jamie Jones 5-1 Mark Joyce

19.00 BST

• Daniel Wells 5-2 Gary Wilson
• Chris Wakelin 3-5 Shaun Murphy
• Jimmy Robertson 2-5 Kyren Wilson
• Mark Williams 5-3 Dominic Dale
• Jack Lisowski 1-5 Zhou Yuelong