Trump, Higgins & Murphy win UK Championship openers

On the first day of the 2025 UK Championship at York Barbican, former champions Judd Trump, John Higgins, and Shaun Murphy all claimed victories.

In a close fight to advance to the last 16, Trump will face China’s Si Jiahui, who won this event in 2024 and 2011. He also defeated Scotland’s Stephen Maguire 6-4.

After defeating Ben Woollaston and Lyu Hoatian, Higgins and Murphy struck up a thrilling last-16 tie, breaking the record with 6-2, respectively.

Since winning at the same venue a year ago, Trump has not won a tournament. He reached the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabian Snooker Championship, Players Championship, Northern Ireland Open, and the Champion of Champions tournaments.

This is his last chance to win an event in 2025 since he won’t be competing in the Scottish Open in Edinburgh the week before Christmas, but he has already had a good year.

“It has been a good year, a solid six or seven out of ten with a lot of positives,” said 36-year-old Trump. I reached the Masters semi-finals, the Worlds semi-finals, and four finals. On that basis, I could say that I’m one of the year’s top players.

Even if I won, it wouldn’t be a good year in comparison to previous ones because, unless I win seven events in a single season, it won’t help me. There is so much expectation of me, and if I don’t win right away, there will be more pressure and you won’t have the same opportunity as you do.

“Having so many enjoyable years in a row forces you to work harder,” he said. I’m not far from winning any events, which is a great thing.

Trump had previously used a different cue earlier in the season, one with a titanium ferrule rather than a traditional brass one, but he was now using his old one in York.

The 2004 champion made costly errors, including making breaks of 86, 111, 82, and 86, with Trump taking the eighth frame on a respotted black after trailing 26-61.

After missing a crucial shot in the seventh frame, 44-year-old Maguire was left fuming and put his blame on the table. He missed what appeared to be a straightforward red into the middle pocket with the score 3-3 and him leading 241.

It’s supposed to be the second biggest tournament in the world, said Maguire, “when you play a shot into the middle and the white takes off, I nearly missed the red completely.”

“How is it possible to not have the table up to scratch?” Despite the slate, the table and bags were both good for each other. It was a straightforward shot that would have won that match. Judd had no idea when it occurred. I’m out of the tournament because I didn’t make it myself.

He played a better role than I could, he said. There are no advantages to it. In this tournament, I believed I had a lot more to give. Although it’s not sour grapes, I’m feeling a little let down by it.

Trump continued, “I can sympathise,” adding that if that had happened, it would have been a game that was entirely different and he would have been 4-3 up.

Three-time UK champion Higgins and 2008 champion Murphy won their matches in the evening session to set up what looks like one of the best final-16 contests.

Following his 6-2 victory over Lyu, an outcome that saw the Englishman win five frames in a row as he recovered from 2-1 down, Murphy said, “Winning is all that matters.”

In the first round, it resembles the World Championship. You realize you’re going to play one of these guys who are really sharp, match fit, and they have a good shot at it after watching every ball of [qualifying] Judgement Day, and I love it.

“I made a few mistakes in parts, but I was delighted to get through, and John Higgins’s minor issue came up next.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan reached that milestone on Friday, and Murphy thought the trio were a snooker hero because Higgins and Mark Williams are already 50 years old.

What they keep on accomplishing, pushing one another, is remarkable, Murphy, 43, said. “I watched John a lot of him in my career, and I hope I don’t have to watch him in excess the following round.”

If you keep your head down, it will demonstrate what the rest of us can do. You predicted your snooker career would be over by 40 when I first started, but they have since been the pioneers.

Higgins broke five half-century records while taking two frames against Woollaston in the match.

“Ben will be kicking himself,” he declared. I made some good clearances, he should have won frames two and three, “aid Higgins.”

Shaun beat me the last few times before winning, as I did in China. I hope the game is a success because he hits the ball like a dream.

He says, “He is so dangerous when he is playing well and has won the Masters] in January.” Scotland and England are at odds with one another.

Si made it easy for Wales’ Ryan Day to win with a 6-0 victory in just over two hours, making him the first man to advance to the last 16.

In four of those six frames, Si scored only 521 points overall, with the Welshman making breaks of 61, 80, and 68.