Trump 'buzzing'
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ByEurosport
Updated 19/01/2012 at 16:52 GMT
Judd Trump watched Barcelona defeat Real Madrid in football’s ‘El Clasico’ in his hotel room on Wednesday night before winning the snooker equivalent against Ronnie O’Sullivan less than 24 hours later.
Judd Trump
Image credit: Imago
The UK champion Trump gave fellow crowd pleaser O'Sullivan little or no breathing room in completing a 6-2 win in an often bewitching Masters quarter-final.
He opened up a 4-0 lead that included a knock of 140 in the fourth frame before a vociferous crowd of 1500 at London's Alexandra Palace.
O'Sullivan's hopes of claiming a fifth Masters trophy already appeared doomed at that stage, but the three-time world champion is in line to collect a tidy £15,000 for a run of 141 in the seventh frame.
Somewhat astonishingly, it eclipsed Trump's earlier effort by a solitary point.
"I didn't do a lot wrong today," said Trump, 22, and winner of his last three meetings against O'Sullivan, his boyhood idol. "I think Ronnie has done everything he has wanted to in the game.
"He has entertained the crowd for 20 years now, and everybody still loves him. For how long he plays the game, he will be the fans' favourite.
"I want my own identity, but you have to take what the other greats like Ronnie, Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry have done in the past.
"I don't want to be seen as the next Ronnie O'Sullivan - I want to be viewed as Judd Trump. I want people to look up to me rather than as the person who copied Ronnie O'Sullivan.
"I can't explain how good it feels to be out there. You can't play without the buzz - you need the crowd to get you up for the game."
Trump is planning on cashing in on recent success in the sport by purchasing a sports car, but could have done with the £15,000 highest break prize.
"That seriously hurt that did. I was praying for him to miss," added Trump. "I think snooker needs to be in the limelight. I think there are players coming up who can take over from guys like Ronnie.
"If Ronnie keeps playing, he will still win tournaments. But I didn't miss much today."
O'Sullivan praised his opponent's skills around the table. "I have got to say well done to Judd. He played a fantastic match, scored heavily and under pressure made some good clearances," he said.
"All you can do is sit there, and hopefully get the chance. When somebody is scoring as well as he is, it is very difficult to stop sometimes.
"You can only do your best as the match is going on. I gave 100 percent. The result is the result."
O'Sullivan did not want to be drawn on his opinion of Trump's star quality.
"I'd better not comment on other players. I think you are better asking somebody else about him," said O'Sullivan.
"There is nothing else you can say. He put together a bit of everything out there today. You are not meant to have an opinion these days - all I have to say is that he was entertaining to watch.
"I'd rather not comment on anything else as your words get twisted and turned."
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