Judd Trump’s second career victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Premier League last night proved that he is a big occasion player.
His problem, conversely, is making it to the big occasions.
I confess I didn’t see the match so have had to rely on what I’ve been told, but to beat O’Sullivan before a large crowd live on television as he did in Exeter is something that will give him huge confidence.
It follows his win over the world no.1 in the Grand Prix last year.
Trump has impressed in the Premier League, yet in the qualifiers at Prestatyn this season he is 0/3.
He could conceivably win the League title and drop out of the top 32.
Ever since he was a boy he has been tipped for big things. He was a prodigious winner of junior titles and maybe he expected too much too soon as a pro.
Judd has done pretty well, making it into the top 32 as a teenager. Comparisons with other players are inevitable but unhelpful.
O’Sullivan won a ranking title at 17. Shaun Murphy was 22 when he won his first.
Players mature at different rates. Trump is attempting to make the next step by going to Sheffield, where he will practice in the World Snooker Academy.
I’d imagine this was a hard decision for him to make. Keynsham is all he has known so far but, like any young man, he is looking to spread his wings a little, be more independent and take control of his own life.
This is fine...as long as he continues to focus on his snooker.
Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry were not social animals as young men. You didn’t see them in nightclubs every weekend. They had that single-mindedness you need to succeed.
That said, comparing any player to those two is unfair: they are a breed apart.
Trump is practising with Daniel Wells and Jack Lisowski. I don’t know them personally but have interviewed them both and they seem like nice, down to earth lads and this trio is unlikely to turn into a sort of snooker brat pack.
They all love the game, they all love playing the game and the competition between the three could help each of them improve.
Trump’s next big test comes at the UK Championship qualifiers in a couple of week’s time.
He may go to Pontin’s bleary-eyed as Premier League champion.
I don’t believe he will simply fade away but it is pointless predicting what he will achieve in the future.
Better to just let the guy play. Because, as O’Sullivan will tell you, he can play.
28 comments:
Well said, Dave. Indeed he can play!
But concerning the UK Championship qualifiers... if he really gets to the PLS playoffs and eventually reaches the final he won`t be able to take part in the qualifiers if I`m not mistaken (I think the qualifier match is on sunday, Nov 29).
was great to see him win in glasgow and be at the match cheering him on.
brilliant win for him last night.
took almost all his chances and in good style. ron buckled under pressure imho, which isnt something hes known for
Snooker The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared.
Hi Dave
There is going to be a lot of rubbish talked about Judd Trump. There are at least twenty Judd Trumps out there, but not one Snooker "Entertainer" that can put "Bums on seats".
Ronnie doesent realise that as soon as he stops "Entertaining" he also stops playing.
The first player that knows (in words) exactly why he is always at the table, plus the reason why his opponent is always sitting down watching, will rule the game.
Ask Judd how he beat Ronnie and ask Ronnie what Judd had extra and you will get platitudes like better on the night etc; but not a reason or mention of a new found "Technique". Mr hey you
He is doing the complete opposite to last season. Last season he won the overwhelming majority of his qualifying matches (only lost to B.Pinches and S.Lee) but then failed to win a match at the tournament proper (apart from the Grand prix where he reached the SF). He also won the Masters qualifying event only to lose his opening match at wembley.
I assumed that having qualified for the prem.league that he would be a lot better at the venues, given that he would be more used to playing in front of the camera's and big crowds. I didn't consider that he wouldn't be able to qualify!
This competition is an embarassment. The pockets at my club are tighter.
If Trump wins this event then he may be given the Wildcard for the Masters.
It might be due to the massive pockets on the PL tables.
Always a pleasure to watch the way Ronnie is declining. For his fans: be prapred it's going to be slow and painfull.
dave its not inconcievable that ronnie wont make the play offs if he loses to higgins in his last game and results go against him.what results would suit him best from next weeks matches?
O'Sullivan in decline, lets be serious he is World number 1 and reigning Masters Champion, plus won in Shanghai. I would agree that his long potting is in irreversible decline though, but he will be a leading player until he is forty. So looks like Jimmy is heading to the jungle, surprised he is missing the UK qualifiers though. Which makes me think the rumours are not true.
jamie brannon said...
"If Trump wins this event then he may be given the Wildcard for the Masters."
Of all the ridiculous posts you have made on here this is the worst. The WSA barely acknowledges this event. It'll go to Wenbo.
Yes, you are probably right because World snooker are selecting and will want to appeal to the chinese market. However if Trump wins it and then backs it up with a good performance in the UK then he is surely a runner.
i wouldnt say his long potting is in irreversible decline he just needs to work on it.who is ronnie's long potting coach?.i know he was working with steve prest before his death earlier this year.
It will be a travesty if Wenbo doesn't get to the Masters. He is a crowd pleaser and we need more crowd pleasers on tv in events like this. It's blindingly obvious.
Seriously, take the Premier League results with a pinch of salt. The pockets are cut differently but there's a lot more to it than that. That's all I shall say on the matter.
jimmy is defo going in the jungle.
Hi Dave,
Am looking forward to what World Snooker says at Telford with regards the SPA press conference.
Lets hope someone from the WSA has the bottle to face this issue out and come to a sensible conclusion!
As for Trump he played incredibly well last night. Especially the clearance in frame 5 after needing a snooker.
O'Sullivan didn't play badly, Trump played very well. Lets hope being based in Sheffield is going to do him good.
I hear Ding's mum is going to be cooking for him...
Thanks, Joe
"I hear Ding's mum is going to be cooking for him"
First i heard....
Thanks, Chen Xi Juan (Ding's Mum )
you couldnt think up some of the rubbish that gets posted on this blog
Snooker The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Hi Dave
Thanks for the post, I was beginning to think you had been "Got at" lad.
I was going to explain in detail my post, but I think it is beyond most players to grasp.
If a registered coach was to say to the proud father that his boy is moving on the shot; it would be classed as indepth thinking, even though no explanation is ever offered how to cure the movement.
This Dave is a bit like "Black balls are easier to pot on monday nights if Jimmy White said so.
Mr hey you.
Hi Chen Xi Juan,
Thanks for putting me right!
Wish your son all the best for the UK.
Thanks, Joe
I would suggest Judd Trump needs to learn the lessons of losing endlessly to Marucs Campbell in qualifying competitions.
These battle hardened middle range professionals know the time of day and also the way to break a young Bristolian man's heart.
My advice to Trump would be to play to the small audience at Prestatyn, and smile to the singular man and his confused mongrel who are watching intently.
Also to change shirts mid session as Lee Richardson once did in Preston.
Its as much about what happens as a perfomer as the actual results.
There is a whole world of learning out there Judd.
I think someone is pulling your leg Joe lol.
I have yet to see a player get his long potting back to what it was in his thirties. Hendry was a devastating long potter in his prime, but is no longer. Even when Ronnie was younger he was never as proficient in that area as some others.
The top three long potters I have ever seen were Mark J Willimas, Pierre Manos and Clive Wilson.
Always a pleasure to watch the way Ronnie is declining. For his fans: be prapred it's going to be slow and painfull.
2:15 PM
Always a pleasure to reply to such bile with a superior amount of venom. Three spelling mistakes and one punctuation error in three lines - an achievement you should be proud of, Anon.
From what I heard and read, Trump was in really good form on Thursday and I think one of the strongest reasons for it would be the frame he won by needing two snookers. Hats off, it shows determination.
What amuses me is the boring regularity with which harbingers of death appear after each defeat Ronnie suffers at the hands of the so-called "journeymen". (I don't quite like the term but since a more appropriate one is lacking...)
They only manage to shoot themselves in the foot by expressing their suprise at these "unexpected" wins and thus admitting Ronnie's qualities as a player.
The more I see of professional snooker these days, the more I believe the winners are knuckling down to the job and not doing the following:
1) Gazing watery eyed at ranking lists, official or provisional.
2) Not being bogged down by the WSA officialdom nor the managers/agents who attempt to bring them down.
3) Making every excuse under the sun for defeats while believing the sport owes them a living.
4) Never counting their loose change while standing over a drain.
always amazes me BC the way you like to retaliate
what sumwuns spelling has got to do with the point they make i dont know
hats off to you for being good at anglish
V
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