By Elliott West
“In the last five years I’ve really come into my own, and shown what I can do on the table. When I do win one, a lot of the time there’s a good chance I do win two, three in a row”.
Judd Trump
Introduction
Judd Trump is walking on air at the moment. His 9-3 victory over Chris Wakelin in the final of the Northern Ireland Open, not only sees him win this title for the fourth time but now three tournament wins on the bounce, English Open, Wuhan Open and now Northern Ireland Open. He joins an elite band of snooker players who have achieved a triple tournament win, Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ding Junhui. The latest win came after winning a 20th consecutive match. An amazing bounty of prize money totalling £300,000 for the three tournaments. This is snooker history in the making and significant statistics for the record books. This was a win that all but a Wakelin 2-1 lead, had Trump in cruise control. After a purple patch for long ball potting, Trump is again slotting in those trademark pots that often seal a frame. His opponent was outclassed, outfoxed and outscored. A shame because Chris played well throughout the tournament and thought that this player whose only claim to silverware was the 2023 Snooker Shootout, might give Judd a closer run for his money especially as he has a terrible track record playing Trump.
Another Level
Critics would argue that Judd didn’t face a single top-eight player to achieve this triple win but that isn’t his fault. With Ronnie O’Sullivan citing medical grounds to withdraw from several tournaments up to now and the rest of the top eight not firing on all cylinders, there has to be one player who capitalises and Judd’s form clicked into place at the optimal moment. Things could have been very different if Trump had decided not to enter the Wuhan Open as he nearly did. Thanks to a conversation with Jimmy White, he changed his mind. Perhaps because White knew that if he won it, Jimmy sealed a spot at the Champion of Champions but I am sure that wasn’t the primary reason. Judd is already up to fifth in the exclusive record board of professional title wins. He has already overtaken Mark Williams’ record of 25 titles and stands at 26 with Steve Davis at 28 and Ronnie O’Sullivan leading the board at 39. Trump is the player of the moment and is already the favourite to clinch the next tournament, the International Open in China.
The Secrets of Success
Any coach or mentor will drill into a player that a break ends when you lose position by losing control of the cue ball. Winning a frame is predominantly won on clinching a 50-plus break. Judd is up there with the greats because he can carve out a winning break with his cue power and makes the cue ball play his tune. His effortless play is the result of thousands of hours of practice and believing that it is still possible to win a match even when you are on the verge of defeat. Most of these techniques are not learned in practice but on a match table. Only there will you learn from your mistakes and gain the drive and focus to steer away from the sedentary position of the chair and flow on the table.
Every player including Judd suffers from nerves. It is a natural reaction to a pressurised atmosphere. Yet any top player knows how to get into the zone to block out these adverse emotions. Trump is highly dangerous when this clicks into place and can win a frame in the blink of an eye. At 34, Judd is in his prime as a snooker player. After parting ways with Django Fung as his manager of the Grove stable, Trump now travels with his brother Jack. His brother provides that necessary calming influence, picking the balls out in practice and being there where it matters. A figure in the audience that Judd can draw inspiration from.
Judd has also been blessed with his latest tip on his cue. At the moment, it is providing him with his winning streak and is showcasing his A game. Practically all the errors of his game have been ironed out and I wouldn’t be surprised if he clears up this season. It will be interesting to see if Ronnie applies the pressure when he returns to the snooker fold for the International Championship but with players like Zhang Anda, Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins in the semi-final of the Northern Open being at the top of their form, none could slay this snooker dragon. Trump has natural talent and has had it since he started playing knee-high to a grasshopper, the same as Luca Brecel and Stan Moody. This force has been perfected over time and Judd Trump will go down in the history books as one of the greatest snooker players that ever picked up a cue.
