The quarter finals of The Masters come to a close on Friday with the two remaining matches in the round taking place. The first of the two, in the afternoon session, looks a potential cracker inside the Alexandra Palace as Judd Trump takes on Shaun Murphy.
These two are two of the most attacking and watchable players in the game and both look to be playing some excellent snooker at present so we should be treated to an absolutely cracking contest.
Judd Trump
Trump was made to work in the first round of the tournament when Liang Wenbo came surging back at him but to give him credit he played well in the early stages of that contest and when the chance came to put the match to bed he did so with aplomb so he should be feeling good about his game right now ahead of this quarter final.
If there was a concern about Trump’s first round win it might be that it took him a few frames to put his opponent to bed but Wenbo himself deserves a lot of credit for that. Trump’s safety has improved a lot over the years but it will be tested here so he needs it to stand up and be counted to assist him through.
Shaun Murphy
You would have to say that Shaun Murphy was in excellent form in the first round. He beat Ali Carter 6-4 in a match which was full of quality with an awful lot of it coming from the cue of the Magician. That was no surprise though because he has been playing well for much of the season and his good run doesn’t appear to be ready to end yet.
The obvious highlight of the victory over Carter was the long pots that Murphy slammed in. He has made a real intention to be aggressive at range and that has been a key part of his success because it is putting the pressure on his opponent to deliver the level of safety shots that just aren’t possible over a long distance.
Head to Head
These two have played each other 28 times in the past and while a whole lot of them have come in the Championship League the two have been rivals for long enough for us to take notice. Trump has 20 wins from those 28 matches with eight on the side of Murphy. Trump has won four of their last five matches including their last meeting over this distance which came in the International Championship quarter final in 2016. He won that 6-5.
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Betting
I was at Judd Trump’s match on Monday night and I was watching him closely and he didn’t seem comfortable with the winning line in sight and that has to be a concern. I sense he could be vulnerable here partly for that reason but also because Wenbo put Trump’s safety under pressure and Murphy’s long putting certainly will.
Shaun Murphy hardly missed anything from distance in the first round and even the classy safety game of Ali Carter wilted under pressure so I expect Judd Trump’s to. Murphy is in excellent form and is a winner at this venue whereas Trump’s record is poor. I’m with the Magician in this one. I also think the 10/11 on Murphy making a century is too good to ignore. He made one against Carter and could have had three more. I fancy he’ll make another ton in this one.
Tips
Back S.Murphy to beat J.Trump for a 4/10 stake at 2.38 with Ladbrokes
Back him here:
Back S.Murphy to make a 100+ break for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Betfred
Back him here:
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