Trump Does The Business In China
Judd Trump believes that victory in his first major ranking tournament will kick-start his career and is confident that he can add to his China Open crown with more titles.
21-year-old Trump beat two-times Masters champion, Mark Selby by ten-frames-to-eight in front of a packed house at the Beijing Students University Stadium.
"My career starts now," said a delighted Judd. "The last four or five years have been a steep learning curve and just prepared me for this moment.
"It's an unbelievable feeling and it's come out of nowhere as I've never shown any form this season.
"Every time I got to a venue I was preparing myself to come home early, that's the lack of confidence I had.
"Against Marco Fu (in the first round) I doubted myself so much just wondering if I was any good and if I would win. But as I got through every match I felt better and better so hopefully I can go on to win a lot more tournaments.
"When I first turned professional I thought I could do it (win a ranking event) within three or four years.
"But the first couple of matches in the first year on tour were just so tough. A few people will now take notice and realise I'm a good player and can do it.
"It's nice to be called a boy wonder by the press here but there are a lot of players that have done a lot more before my age including Ding Junhui, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins, who all won titles in their teens.
"I've still got a long way to go but hopefully I can win more tournaments and be compared to them one day."
The final produced snooker of the highest quality as both Trump and Selby made three centuries each.
Trump won the opening frame and from that point, the Leicester-man was always playing catch up.
However, ‘catch up’ is a game that Selby excels at and although the Bristol-born youngster led 3-1, 5-2, 7-5 and 8-6, predictably the world number four eventually got back on level terms at 8-8.
Trump though, held his nerve to take the lead once again in the next but Selby opened up a 41-point lead early in frame 18 and was looking like taking the match to a deciding frame shoot-out.
A difficult opening red was successfully negotiated by Trump and he continued to make one of the best pressure clearances of all time to take the frame and with it the title, the trophy and the £60,000 first prize.
He said afterwards, "Mark put me under a lot of pressure in the second session and I was lucky to keep the one-frame lead," added Trump. "Then in the last frame I made one of my best clearances ever under pressure.
"It was looking like being 9-9 and in the second session he came out so well. I felt good in the last frame until I got to the colours. They were all on their spots then I knew I had a chance to win.
"I've never experienced pressure like that so to make the clearance to win my first title in my first final is pretty good.
It is rare for the player who wins the preceding tournament to go and win the world title in Sheffield, but with renewed confidence and youth on his side, Trump will be a serious contender at the Crucible this year.
He has been dealt a tough draw against defending champion, Neil Robertson on the opening day.
"I'm going into the World Championships with a lot of confidence which I didn't have before.
"There will be a lot of expectation on me to play well against Neil Robertson and if I don't do that, then people will start thinking that this was just a lucky week.
"It will be tough against Neil and he is the favourite but he will not be fancying it as much as he did before this tournament."
