Judd Trump blows away Zhou Yuelong to as defending champion sets up German Masters quarter-final with Zhao Xintong

Judd Trump’s iron grip on the German Masters shows no signs of loosening, as he breezed past Zhou Yuelong 5-0 and into the quarter-finals.

Trump arrived in Berlin on the back of 14 matches unbeaten in the event, following his wins in 2020 and 2021.

There was never any doubt about him making it 15 in a row from the moment he knocked in a ton in the first frame, as he completely overwhelmed a talented but overmatched opponent.

Trump was handed a bye into the last-16, so it was not clear what sort of form he would bring to table at the Tempodrom.

Given his record in the event, red hot was the most likely – and he proved that with his 22nd century of the season in the opening frame. A thunderous kick when the break was on 59 threatened to derail Trump, but he pulled off a series of supreme pots in a break of 130.

A run of 70 helped Trump take the second, with the world No. 2 denied a century by another big kick.

The third was the first scrappy encounter, and Zhou paid the price for not taking the chances that came his way as Trump made it three unanswered frames.

Zhou had a chance to get on the board in the fourth, but ran out of position when on 39 and later went for an audacious clipped red which never looked like dropping. Handing a player as good as Trump a clear opening is a direct route to the exit door, and the defending champion stepped in to make it 4-0 at the interval.

The interval provided only brief respite for Zhou, and he was swiftly put out of his misery. The Chinese missed a black off its spot at the start of the fifth, and Trump cashed in. A red into the green pocket was jaw-droppingly good, and set him on the way to a wrapping up victory at a canter.

Standing between Trump and a place in the semi-finals in Zhao Xintong who followed up his win over Mark Williams with a 5-1 mauling of Tom Ford.

Ford hit a century in the match, but he was kept largely quiet by the UK champion, and he will fancy his chances against Trump.

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