Keynsham snooker star Trump targets qualification for Shanghai

Keynsham cueman Judd Trump makes a welcome return to the green baize today in his first match of the new season.

Trump locks horns with Scotland's Marcus Campbell in the final round of qualifying for next month's Roewe Shanghai Masters.

Victory at the Pontin's Holiday Park in Prestatyn, North Wales, would earn the world No 30 the chance to play in the first ranking tournament of the new season, which runs from September 7-13 at the Shanghai Grand Stage.

"I'm really looking forward to the start of the season," said Trump, who climbed into the top 32 in the world rankings for the first time last season.

"Breaking into the top 32 last season was a big achievement for me. Being successful has given me a lot of confidence ahead of the new season.

"It's still going to be tough to win matches at Pontin's, but I've played there enough now to know what's required."

Campbell, the world No 45 from Dumbarton, edged Maltese professional Tony Drago 5-4 to book his place in the final qualifying round.

And Trump, who is gunning to break into the top 16 this season, knows he can't afford to take anything for granted against his experienced opponent.

"Marcus is a good player, he's been around for a long time and he's obviously playing quite well," he added.

"But like last season, I'm just going to concentrate on what I do well and play to my strengths. I'm not concerned about my opponent, it's how well I perform on the day."