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The Judd Trump train is showing no signs of slowing down and after brushing aside Barry Hawkins to kick off his Masters campaign, the world No 1 knows it will take something special to stop him at Alexandra Palace this week.
For a long time, the knock on Trump was that he was more than capable of racking up the ‘smaller’ ranking events, and could do so in some style, but when it came to snooker’s very biggest tournaments, he was more often than not found wanting.
Yes, he had the world title he won in 2019, when he obliterated John Higgins in the final with perhaps the greatest performance ever seen in snooker’s showpiece match, but 2011 was his sole UK Championship crown, while 2019 and 2023 were the only two Masters trophies in his cabinet.
For a player as prodigiously talented, with such an incredible work ethic and having demonstrated plenty of tournament-winning pedigree to be in the top five all-time list of ranking event winners, this was seen as an underachievement.
But that is starting to change. His brilliant final-frame clearance to beat Mark Williams 10-9 in the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final in September – a big-money tournament deemed a ‘major’ by World Snooker Tour – was followed by a second UK Championship crown last month.
He is now halfway to a first-ever ‘grand slam’ if he can accomplish the not insignificant task of adding the 2025 Masters and World Championship crowns to his tally in the coming months. He’s up to fourth in the all-time ranking event wins list, above the legendary Steve Davis, and only one title behind John Higgins in third.
He is miles clear atop the two-year rolling ranking list, meaning he is almost untouchable as world No 1 for the near future, and is as ruthless as he’s ever been on the table. This was shown on Tuesday afternoon at Ally Pally as he swatted away Hawkins – a man who pushed him close in last month’s UK Championship final – to the tune of a 6-1 triumph.
Trump wasn’t necessarily at his unstoppably brilliant best but was clinical as breaks of 59, 60 and 56 helped him race into a 5-0 lead on a day where Hawkins didn’t seem to be getting the run of the ball. The 45-year-old did eventually manage to get a frame on the board to stave off a whitewash but it ultimately meant little as Trump finished in style with a break of 112 to cruise into the quarter-finals, where he will face Ding Junhui.
He was the favourite heading into this week, especially after Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the event 48 hours before his first match on medical grounds, and it appears it will take a monumental effort to stop his blasting his way through the field to a third Masters title.
“Not really,” shrugged Trump when asked if he felt like the tournament favourite heading in. “But if I play anywhere near my best, I’ll be there or thereabouts at the end. It will take something special to stop me.
“If I keep performing how I have been all season, I don’t really care what happens – it’s about going out there and playing my best. If it takes a great performance to beat me, then so be it.
“I didn’t waste any opportunities against Barry. I scored heavily and felt my safety was really good. I was pleased with how I closed out the game – you don’t want your oppoent to get momentum here as the crowd can get behind them. I didn’t want to be involved in a 6-5 in the first round because I’ve had my fair share of those over the years! It was great to get through comfortably and play in the manner I did.”
Trump spoke ahead of the tournament about feeling under-appreciated as a snooker player and that his many incredible achievements don’t get the recognition they should.
“I think now more than ever I am,” Trump told The Metrowhen asked if he was under-appreciated. “For my age I’ve won a lot of events and achieved a lot of things in snooker.
“Winning six ranking titles in a season gets forgotten about a little bit. I think it’s an extremely tough record to break. I’m proud of myself for what I’ve achieved. I don’t need other people to tell me how great it is, but it would be nice for people to recognise it.”
If the 35-year-old keeps playing as he is at the moment, then his accomplishments will become harder and harder to ignore. Ding is the man who stands in his way in a quarter-final on Friday and Trump is relishing the contest against a man who won his first ranking event for five years at the International Championship in November and is himself a Masters champion from way back in 2011.
“It will be a great game,” said Trump. “Ding has spearheaded snooker in China and it’s great to have him back somewhere near his best. I really enjoy playing him. He plays the game the right way – it’s always going to be open and attacking, it’s just whoever pots the most balls against him.
“I don’t think he’s quite at his best to where he was 10 years ago but he’s somewhere near, always battling away now. Maybe he had to go away, reset his expectations because the standard is so hard. He’s realised that and maybe been too hard on himself in the past but it’s great to have him back somewhere near his best.”
Somewhere near his best feels unlikely to be enough for Ding to stop the Trump juggernaut and wider appreciation for the Englishman may be about to move a step closer.
