Experienced Joe Perry is capable of making Trump sweat

Fourth round
Eurosport 1 & BBC2, 1pm & 7pm Wednesday

Judd Trump has held the upper hand in his clashes with Joe Perry, but with a mite more application the Gentleman could make life difficult for the Bristolian.

The pair clash in the Betway UK Championship with a place in the quarter-finals at stake and while Trump was carried along on a tidal wave of social media criticism to a title triumph in the recent Northern Ireland Open, following up that Belfast success may prove tougher.

Trump, who deservedly went all the way in the UK in 2011, has won ten of his 14 meetings with Perry. The Ace in the Pack has won their two clashes this year, but Perry did the double over his younger opponent in 2016.

Like other high-class perform­ers who have never won the UK, Perry's game has looked in decent nick in York and a run of 143 in round one saw him top the high-break chart for a couple of days.

Perry is 4-6 with a start of 2.5 frames on the handicaps and that can be taken.

Lu Ning is developing a repu­tation for being a battler on the baize and the Chinese novice is not without a chance of adding to his list of upsets when he meets Tom Ford.

Talented Leicester cueman Ford has been an under­achiever for much of his career. This could be a turning point, but he does not always thrash his opponents.

Punters can consider trying to find a way to support the outsider, although the oddsmakers are taking few chances on Lu.

World champion Mark Williams has been playing well at the Barbican Centre, but after three winnable outings he faces what could be his toughest match of the tournament against Stephen Maguire.

Glaswegian Maguire may be trying hard to sort things out in order to give himself a better chance of ruling at the Crucible. He was crowned UK champion in 2004 but his chance of a repeat should be respected because at his best he's definitely good enough.

Again, though, the bookmakers are not giving away the outsider so finding a market in which to support Maguire is not easy.

Recommendation
J Perry +2.5 frames
1pt 4-6 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

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