Masters snooker: Curse of the UK champion puts Judd Trump at risk
Published:The enticing encounters continue on day two of the Masters, with UK Championship king Judd Trump and frequent challenger Shaun Murphy among the big names in action…
Stuart Bingham to beat Judd Trump @ 7/4
Much will be expected of Trump at Alexandra Palace after reaching the final of the World Snooker Championship and triumphing at the UK Championship in 2011, however he has very few happy memories of the third Triple Crown event.
The 22-year-old has only qualified for the competition once before, in 2009, and on that occasion, all the energy expended working his way through six preliminary ties was wasted with an instant exit to Mark Allen in the wild card round.
Another even more shocking swift departure could be on the cards this time because incredibly the last six UK Championship winners have all bowed out of the Masters at the first hurdle a month on.
Shaun Murphy to beat Martin Gould @ 1/2
Murphy has never before managed to scale the same heights at the Masters that has seen him claim victory at the World and UK Championship but despite never reaching the final four, he is usually competitive in the tournament.
The Whiston Warrior has been to the quarter-finals in four of the last six years and the two instances in that period in which he missed out saw him put up a fight and lose by relatively narrow margins.
This time out he faces a Masters debutant in Gould, who also happens to be the bottom seed and a player who Murphy has enjoyed three straight wins against.
The latest of those successes arrived just last month 6-4 at the UK Championship, and it is 5/1 that Murphy prevails again by that scoreline.
Odds greater than 3/1 are available on Bingham and Murphy in a win double
