Judd Trump was left frustrated by a bizarre interruption during his victory over Si Jiahui at the Shenzhen Open. The man from Bristol secured a comfortable 5-2 triumph over his Chinese rival to book his place in the quarter-finals, but didn't have everything his own way.
Software Glitch Halts Play
In the seventh frame of the match, the two players agreed to a re-rack with neither of them able to develop the pack of reds bunched tightly on the table. Later in the frame, another unexpected incident in the form of a software glitch brought the match to a halt.
Trump was in the process of potting the yellow into the far corner pocket when the advertising screen behind the table suddenly flashed blue. The unexpected distraction immediately drew a response from the 37-year-old, who threw his arms up in frustration.
The referee was quick to step in, telling Trump: "Judd, do you want to wait until I double-check with the screen or... I'm going to check with the screen."
Commentator Weighs In
TNT Sports commentator Dave Hendon said: "This LED screen, they're having problems with it. The old days where it was a bit of plywood, what was wrong with those? A few flowers around the arena. The old globes at the Crucible, those were the days.
"We are kind of at a very important time, aren't we? You don't want to be put off by flashing screens and things going on and off."
The problem was quickly resolved and Trump was able to shake off the distraction, sweeping up the remaining colours to win the frame and set up a quarter-final showdown with Mark Selby.
Road to the Quarter-Finals
Trump is hoping to win his second Chinese title in the space of three months, having prevailed at the Shanghai Masters back in August. Following his victory over Si, he said: "At this stage there's always a crucial ball or crucial frame. So far this season and maybe last season I have not been winning those, but that can change at any point. You have just got to keep putting yourself in those positions."
Selby, who clinched the China Open title earlier this year, completed a highest break of 99 in his 5-3 triumph over Stephen Maguire, before getting whitewashed by Trump in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion Wu Yize defeated Ricky Walden by the same scoreline and will face Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals in a repeat of their Crucible showdown.
