Bristol potter Judd Trump has qualified for the China Open in Beijing thanks to a 5-0 whitewash of former world champion Ken Doherty over the weekend.

The 19-year-old from Keynsham kept up his enviable unbeaten record in qualifying matches this season, and will travel to the Orient at the end of March.

Trump, officially ranked No 41 in the world, is now on the verge of breaking into the top 32 because he is provisionally ranked at 27.

"I played well out there," said Trump following his impressive showing at the Pontin's Holiday Park in Prestatyn.

"I felt quite relaxed, and once I got a couple of frames under my belt I felt confident the rest would follow. Ken is struggling at the moment, but he is a quality player who just needs a break or two to get going again.

"When you are involved in qualifying, the most important thing is to get to the venue. I have done that, and I am looking forward to travelling to China."

Doherty said: "Judd played really well, and is a confident player. This is not a nice place to play, and I struggled to get going.

"Judd will be a tough player to play in that type of mood. With his record, you don't really want to play him in a qualifying match at the moment."

Trump's best showing at a ranking tournament was his semi-final appearance at the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Glasgow in mid-October, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan on the way.

"This season has been a pretty good one so far," he continued. "But I still need to improve if I am to compete with the top players in the world on a consistent basis."

Doherty, the Crucible winner in 1997, was not the only former world champion to fail to reach China. Steve Davis was shocked 5-2 by Preston potter Stuart Pettman.

Trump is next in action in the Welsh Open qualifiers a week on Thursday, as he faces up to a penultimate qualifying round encounter.

Barry Pinches is a likely opponent, with the Norwich professional facing either Supoj Saenla or Jin Long for the right to face Trump.

Trump added: "I will go home and keep practising. I will have to wait and see who I play, but whoever it is will be a tough match."