Jamie Clarke held off Judd Trump to win Group 2 at the Championship League with Shaun Murphy topping Group 7 on Tuesday.

The 2019 world champion Trump needed a win against Clarke to reach the last 32 after a 2-2 draw with Peng Yisong and 3-1 win over Sean O’Sullivan earlier in the day.

World No. 49 Clarke went into the match ahead on frame difference courtesy of a 3-0 win against O’Sullivan and a 2-2 draw with Peng at the season’s first ranking event.

Despite the Bristolian winning the first frame with a break of 50, Clarke claimed the next two frames to seal his progress with Trump earning a 2-2 draw in snaring the fourth frame.

“I feel really good, obviously when you’ve got Judd and a couple of other good players in your group, you know it is going to be difficult,” he said.

“Preparation has been good, I’ve had about five or six sessions in the past 10 days. I wasn’t playing my best, but I’m just glad to get through.

“I’m 49th on the rankings at the start of this year, I’ve not got any real aims this season other than to win as many games as possible and go as deep at events as I can, and who knows; maybe even win a tournament.”

Clark will join Luca Brecel, Daniel Wells and Chris Wakelin in Group B on Thursday 28 July.

Shaun Murphy drew 2-2 with Ben Mertens in his Group 7 opener, but two 3-0 victories against Liam Highfield and Xu Si respectively saw him edge out Belgian teenager Mertens on frame difference.

Murphy made marvellous breaks of 144 and 103 against Highfield and a 109 in defeating Xu.

The 2015 world champion will face Ricky Walden, Elliot Slessor and Anthony Hamilton in Group G of the last 32 a week on Thursday.

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Latest Championship League group winners

• Group 24: Robert Milkins (Eng)
• Group 13: Aaron Hill (Ire)
• Group 4: Zhao Xintong (Chn)
• Group 31: Anthony Hamilton (Eng)
• Group 6: Michael Judge (Ire)
• Group 26: Chris Wakelin (Eng)
• Group 10: Luca Brecel (Bel)
• Group 29: Lu Ning (Chn)
• Group 1: Ronnie O’Sullivan (Eng)
• Group 27: Jamie Jones (Wal)
• Group 15: Ricky Walden (Eng)
• Group 32: Xiao Guodong (Chn)
• Group 9: Yuan Sijun (Chn)
• Group 30: Lyu Haotian (Chn)
• Group 3: Ben Woollaston (Eng)
• Group 23: Elliot Slessor (Eng)
• Group 5: Mark Williams (Wal)
• Group 28: Gary Wilson (Eng)
• Group 22: Jimmy Robertson (Eng)
• Group 21: Stephen Maguire (Sco)
• Group 20: Chang Bingyu (Chn)
• Group 18: Daniel Wells (Wal)
• Group 17: Ali Carter (Eng)
• Group 25: Pang Junxu (Chn)
• Group 11: Stuart Bingham (Eng)
• Group 14: Hossein Vafaei (Ira)
• Group 7: Shaun Murphy (Eng)
• Group 2: Jamie Clarke (Wal)

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