Jubilant Joe Perry denies Judd Trump to land Welsh Open crown
Perry lifted the trophy last season
Joe Perry claimed his first career title on British soil after defeating Judd Trump 9-5 in the Welsh Open final at Celtic Manor Resort.
The 47-year-old became the oldest winner of a ranking title since Ray Reardon as he landed the second of his career – and first since the 2015 Players Championship in Bangkok.
Cheered on by his parents, Perry won six of the next seven frames from 4-3 down to pocket the top prize of £70,000.
The Gentleman, who had slipped to 42nd in the world rankings following a poor start to his 30th season as a professional, added Trump to his list of impressive scalps this week, having also defeated David Gilbert, Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson, Ricky Walden and Jack Lisowski along the way.
“I can’t believe it. This is the absolute highlight of my career by a country mile,” he told Eurosport.
“I actually thought it was coming to an end, but now I’ve had the best moment of my snooker career.
“To do it against a great champion like Judd is the icing on the cake.
“[My parents] have supported me since I was 10 or 11 years old. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been a snooker player. I know they’re proud of me, but this is amazing.”
Appearing in his sixth ranking final, Perry snatched a dramatic opening frame with a tremendous double on the black, before a run of 59 put him 2-1 up.
The most successful player in Home Nations history with four titles, Trump responded with breaks of 69 and 73 as he won three of the next four frames.
The Ace, who was targeting his first ranking crown of the season, was in for 5-3, but an uncharacteristic missed red enabled his opponent to clear with 46 and square things up at 4-4.
The Gentleman began the evening with a brilliant break of 108 and, although Trump took the 10th frame on the blue, he won the next two with runs of 51, 66 and 68 along the way.
A stunning final red in the next paved the way for him to clear and move to the brink of a remarkable victory, which he secured with a calm break of 70.