by elliott west
Introduction
Snooker has always produced greats and Judd Trump is no exception. This quietly spoken player from Bristol, proved at an early age that he had the potential to rise to the top of the sport, producing a century break before he could properly reach over the table. Perhaps his only weakness and reason why he didn’t elevate sooner was his competitors and his lack of self-confidence. A conundrum that would take him a few years to solve.
The Magic Moment
I have thought about this a lot, being lucky enough to see Judd play live on several occasions but when I wrack my brains, the pivotal moment and the catalyst for his surge to glory, has to have first come when he won the China Open in 2011, beating Mark Selby, 10-8. From this moment, you could see a change in his demeanour, shifting from a person who played in the shadows to a player that now walked tall and had a hunger to win. This springboard was soon dashed when he reached his first World Championship final in the same year. A tremendous run in the tournament had many left thinking he was on course to take his first Triple Crown title but unfortunately he came across an in form John Higgins who was not prepared to surrender to the tirade of potting that Trump threw at him. It was a close call but sadly Judd was at the losing end of this battle, narrowly missing out, 15-18.However, Trump didn’t have to lick his wounds for long as 2011 seemed to favour the brave. No sooner had the calendar flipped to December, not only had the weather changed but Judd was again soaking up the magic of the UK Championship in York. The Bristolian at a blink was in the final and claimed the title by defeating Mark Allen, 10-8. This win definitely spurred this young rookie and the rest you could say is history, winning a string of titles including The Masters and the World Championship last year.
The Winning Formula
Judd won the English Open last night by taking the final to a decider against Neil Robertson, winning, 9-8. Perhaps the telling sign to this win was his trend throughout the tournament to win matches when trailing to his opponent. This player now uses his confidence in a controlled manner, being able to break down the wall of loss and counter negativity with positivity in his game. He is fearless and will go for the pot when he feels that he can attain it but is also prepared to be patient and play safe until another opportunity arises, something that was absent in his early career.
Trump has also been able to adapt to the changing environment that snooker now poses. Even without his mentor, Jack, his brother at his side, Judd can still flow and can still produce his ‘A’ game without an audience. He also thrives on the excitement of tension and is able to draw on his amateur career to make a match enjoyable and not a chore. Judd may live in the shadow of Ronnie O’Sullivan but Ronnie only plays well when he wants to, feeling he has nothing to prove, having won all the major accolades on multiple occasions. However Trump can now beat Ronnie on a good or off day and O’Sullivan has admitted that Judd’s all round game is now complete. This young man has ditched his hedonistic days and most importantly, now enjoys playing snooker. He now holds 18 titles, 7 consecutive titles and has competed in 10 finals back to back, a major accomplishment.
Conclusion
Judd has a bright future and the moment seems to be dominating the sport. Perhaps on the surface not the most charismatic character, Trump has come out of his shell in recent year and revealed some of the person that used to hide behind closed doors. Like a child opening a Christmas present, his eyes light up and he beams when he is challenged and he is able to change gears and create a pot or divine break from an impossible table situation. This is the mark of a champion and one that will dominate the tour for many years to come with many player casualties in his winning path.
