UK Championship: Nigel Bond defeats world champion Judd Trump 6-3

Bond, a beaten finalist at the 1995 World Championship, defied the odds to produce one of the biggest shocks in recent memory, potting a terrific long pink at the end of a pulsating ninth frame that had offered Trump hope of keeping his title hopes alive.

At 54 years of age and with results harder to come by in recent years, Bond was given little chance beforehand, but despite falling 2-0 behind he produced a calm and composed performance, mixing smart safety play with solid scoring to knock Trump off his stride and force him into ever more unforced errors as the afternoon wore on.

Having already had a couple of bites at the final pink, Bond eventually brought the crowd to its feet when killing off the match with a silky long pot from deep behind the baulk line, before receiving a warm handshake from his opponent.

"He's the man of the moment. I'm 54. What am I doing?" Bond told BBC Sport. "Once I settled, I played some good stuff out there. It's unbelievable.

"Judd missed one or two, which helped, but I was just trying to show people I can still play. When I am feeling good, my game is still there."

Things had appeared to be going to plan for Trump when he raced into a 2-0 lead, breaks of 52 and 114 helping the recent Northern Ireland Open winner to get off to his usual electric start.

However, the first sign of any chinks in Trump's armour came in frame three when Bond, who had initially failed to settle, managed to scramble his way over the winning line before Trump hit straight back with a run of 90 in frame four to reaffirm his dominance.

That dominance was to prove short-lived, though, Bond returning from the mid-session interval with a spring in his step to win frames five and six as Trump slowly lost his rhythm while his canny opponent continued to chip away.

With Trump now looking increasingly frustrated, Bond was visibly growing with confidence and a fabulous break of 114 put him in front for the first time in the match before he added a break of 85 in frame eight for good measure, moving him two in front with only three to play.

Trump responded by forcing his way to the table first in frame nine but another stray positional shot saw his visit cut short with a handy, but not significant, lead of 40 and just as he had done all afternoon, Bond cleverly dictated terms from there on in, a brilliant long red along the side cushion earning a nod of appreciation from his opponent.

It wouldn't quite end there, though, both players afforded and missing chances to win the frame before Trump played one poor safety shot too many, allowing Bond to draw his sword one last time and swipe the killer blow at the conclusion of a match that had just about everything - including the shock of the season so far.

"Anything can happen in snooker," said Trump. "He used his experience, and he scored heavily as well. I didn't do a lot wrong. It wasn't like I was getting in and missing.

"The pace of the game was very slow and hard for me to get a rhythm. Everyone's human. You can never get too excited or too down."

Also on Monday afternoon, Neil Robertson survived the threat of a fightback to beat Mark King 6-4, and 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham cruised into the last-16 with a 6-1 victory over China's Zhao Xintong.

Basildon-based Bingham never looked back after posting a 127 break in the opening frame, and three more half-centuries eased him past an opponent who could manage a highest break of just 60.

And China's Li Hang also progressed, beating Marco Fu 6-4 in a high-quality encounter that was highlighted by the winner hitting breaks of 131 in successive frames, while Fu also posted two centuries.

In the evening, Mark Allen looked on better terms with himself as four half-centuries paved the way for a 6-1 defeat of Ben Woollaston.

John Higgins also advanced, breaks of 96, 124 and 88 enough for a 6-1 stroll against Ian Burns, and both Matthew Stevens and Kurt Maflin join him in the next round.

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