Trump recovers from 4-1 down to lead Wilson

April 21, 2026 No Comments

Trump recovers from 4-1 down to lead WilsonImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Judd Trump beat John Higgins 18-9 in the 2019 World Championship finalByMichael EmonsBBC Sport journalist at the Crucible Theatre, SheffieldPublished21 minutes ago6 Comments

World number one Judd Trump recovered from a slow start to take a narrow lead over Gary Wilson in their first-round match at the World Snooker Championship.

Trump, the 2019 champion, lost four of the first five frames as Wilson, ranked 27th, moved into a 4-1 lead.

But Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to hold a 5-4 advantage before the match restarts (19:00 BST).

“The last couple of frames have been the best I’ve seen from Judd for a long time,” mentioned seven-time champion Stephen Hendry on BBC TV commentary.

Trump, 36, has been top of the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that run if he reaches at least the last 16.

But he did not have it all his own way with Wilson, a three-time ranking event winner, making the highest break of the session with a superb 139 clearance in frame five.

Later on Tuesday, seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his campaign against 25-year-old Chinese debutant He Guoqiang, the world number 47.

Trump century brings it level

Pullen, 20, impresses on Crucible debut

Liam Pullen and Chris Wakelin in action at the World Snooker Championship — Image caption,

Liam Pullen and Chris Wakelin finish their match on Wednesday morning

Liam Pullen dropped off the World Snooker Tour at the end of last season, only to regain his tour card weeks later at Q School.

The 20-year-old from York is ranked 86th in the world and had to battle through four qualifying rounds to make his Crucible debut.

Before the tournament started, he spoke of how, aged 12, he had watched the 2018 final between Mark Williams and John Higgins and was left “starstruck” by a chance encounter with the Scot in a Pizza Express.

But if he was feeling any nerves, Pullen did not show it as he made breaks of 57, 63, 97 and 58, although he still finds himself 4-5 behind against fellow Englishman Chris Wakelin, a quarter-finalist last year.

Wakelin, helped by breaks of 66 and 82, holds a one-frame advantage with the match set to be played to a finish on Wednesday morning from 10:00 BST.

But Pullen can be pleased with how he performed and it was another bright spot for young English players after 19-year-old Stan Moody gave 2024 champion Kyren Wilson a real scare before losing 10-7 on Monday.