World number one snooker player Judd Trump has admitted returning to Belfast has left him feeling under the weather following his win over Gary Wilson at the Northern Ireland Open. The 36-year-old, who relocated to Dubai earlier this year, reached the quarter finals of the competition with a 4-1 win over Wilson in emphatic style.

When asked what life was like in Dubai as a snooker player and whether he’d had any problems acclimating at the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, Trump said: “Practice early on, and the rest of the day, try and be outdoors as much as possible.

“So, probably the opposite of here but to be honest it can be quite difficult coming back now when you’re outside so much and there’s a lot of time inside when the weather is not good.

“I’m happy that the weather is a bit better so I can spend a bit more time outside. I feel a little bit ill today, probably from a lack of sunlight but I’m hoping now on I can get some healthy food and drink and feel better for my next match.”

Trump raced into a 1-0 lead against Wilson a total clearance of 132, his first century of the tournament. It was his 22nd of the season so far and he maintained the pressure throughout the game.

The world number one went three frames up, but Wilson pulled one back, despite leaving himself in a poor position on the final red.

Trump also squandered the opportunity, but finished things off in the final frame with a break of 83 as he goes in search of his fifth Northern Ireland Open title.

Despite his comfortable win, Trump insisted he was ’99 per cent off’ his best and must improve quickly.

“I’m happy I won, but it wasn’t a good performance. Gary struggled, and sometimes it’s difficult when you can see your opponent struggling; he had no momentum, so it was just about trying to hold yourself together, really. Sometimes, it kind of drags you down. I got off to a good start, but there were a few missed balls after that. But yeah, I’m happy with the win.”

He added: “I’m about 99 per cent off [my best], I’m very, very far from playing my best, I think. Just the sharpness, when you win matches, you’re really sharp, when you don’t go all the way in tournaments, you have longer breaks, you have a week, two weeks off all the time, and you’re just not that match sharp.

“So, a few little details in there, which you need from getting deeper into tournaments; quarter finals, semi-finals, you feel involved. It’s just that little bit of sharpness, that little bit of confidence out there, it’s just missing at the moment.”