The English Open has rarely been short of drama, and Friday’s action in Brentwood added another chapter to the unpredictable theatre of snooker. Former world champion Judd Trump, the bookmakers’ favourite and one of the sport’s most charismatic stars, was sensationally dumped out in the last 16 by the unheralded Elliot Slessor a result that sent shockwaves across the arena and the wider snooker fraternity.
For Slessor, ranked well outside the elite and often dismissed as a journeyman, this was the performance of a career. He arrived at the table with composure, producing confident long pots and solid tactical play that seemed to frustrate Trump at every turn. Where Trump’s usual fluency deserted him—break-building stalling on 30s and 40s—Slessor capitalised with nerveless clearances. The underdog sensed vulnerability and seized the moment.
By the mid-session interval, the upset was brewing, and the tension in the crowd was unmistakable. Trump attempted to summon his trademark comeback flair, but Slessor’s safety game kept him shackled. When the final black dropped, confirming Trump’s elimination, the roar from the Essex crowd was one of both disbelief and admiration. Slessor’s clenched fist told its own story: this was not luck, but the product of steely belief and execution under pressure.
For Trump, the defeat is a bitter pill. The Englishman has been tipped to mount a strong defence of his ranking points this season and is chasing form ahead of the UK Championship and Masters. Instead, he departs Brentwood nursing questions about inconsistency—brilliant one day, vulnerable the next. His exit also opens the draw dramatically, leaving the door ajar for both veterans and new blood to push deep into the weekend.
Attention quickly shifted to another marquee clash: **Shaun Murphy versus Jackson Page**. Murphy, the 2005 world champion, is no stranger to the pressures of the latter stages of big events. Page, still developing but brimming with potential, represents the next generation determined to topple established names. Their meeting encapsulates the sport’s generational tug-of-war—Murphy’s textbook technique and experience against Page’s fearless attacking instinct.
Early exchanges suggested a tight affair. Murphy looked sharp, cueing crisply and dictating with heavy scoring, but Page refused to be overawed. His bold shot selection earned applause, reminding everyone why he is touted as one of Wales’s brightest prospects since Mark Williams. The match promised to stretch into a battle of nerve and concentration as much as potting prowess.
With Trump gone, the spotlight intensifies on Murphy and others still in contention. Can “The Magician” conjure another run to silverware, or will Page underline his growing reputation with a career-defining scalp? The stakes have rarely felt higher.
As play continues into the evening, the English Open remains wide open. Slessor’s triumph has already rewritten the script, and with heavyweights tumbling, the stage is set for more shocks. Snooker, as ever, thrives on unpredictability—and Friday proved again that in this sport, reputations mean little once the balls are broken.
