How 'monster' Judd Trump showed his 'iron will' to win English Open final against Zhang Anda - Dave Hendon

Judd Trump’s capture of the English Open title in Brentwood sees him return to snooker’s winners’ circle, but it was the manner of his victory which made it one of his more memorable title triumphs.

This one-off talent had not won a ranking event for 19 months following a glorious period in which he won so many trophies he was in need of a new mantelpiece.

His 9-7 victory over Zhang Anda ends the drought and suggests more success ahead in the months to come. He achieved it by demonstrating an iron will to pull himself out of a deep mire.

So often Trump is celebrated for his flair and flamboyance. And so he should be. As a shot-maker he is unrivalled. But sometimes you just need to dig in and compete hard.

Trailing 7-3, he was being outplayed by an inspired Zhang. To stand any chance of turning it around he had to stay positive and hope for a chance. It came when Zhang missed a blue in the next frame, the first crack in his armoury, and Trump pounced.

From then on, he looked the only winner. Zhang was appearing in his first final and, in the latter stages, it showed. Trump, meanwhile, sniffed the winning line and dived for it.

Last season, Trump won the Masters, one of snooker’s most highly prized trophies, but reached just one ranking final and went out in the first round of the World Championship. It represented a disappointing campaign for a player who had become happily accustomed to being the last man standing.

His whole life, Sundays have been about snooker. As a boy, Trump dazzled in junior events around Britain. His father, Steve, was a lorry driver and gave up his weekends to hit the motorways again, taking his talented son to wherever the action was.

At 10, Trump won the English national under-15 title. He turned professional at 16 with the usual chorus of hype which accompanies young prospects. It took a few years to get used to the step up in standard, but at 21 he won the China Open, reached his first World Championship final and became established as a top player and standard bearer for a new generation.

His problem has been that the previous generation are not done yet. Trump won a remarkable 14 ranking titles in three seasons from 2018 to 2021, suggesting he would become snooker’s next dominant force, but since capturing the world title in 2019 he has seen Ronnie O’Sullivan win it twice. Mark Williams won the British Open just over a week ago. John Higgins took Trump to deciders in the semi-finals at the European Masters and again in Brentwood.

In addition, players a little older than Trump, like Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, are all still capable of performing to the very highest level while Luca Brecel, six years his junior, has scooped the biggest title of them all.

However, Trump remains a very dedicated player with a solid bedrock of practice overseen by his brother, Jack. He is one of the best potters the game has ever seen and an inventive cueist capable of playing power shots many other players struggle with. Allied to this, he scores heavily and his safety game has improved dramatically over the years.

He got on a bad run last season and seemed to lose confidence. Even at the Masters, he came close to defeat several times before outlasting Williams in the final. Anthony McGill beat him in round one at the Crucible.

It doesn’t take long for even the best to be questioned.

Did Trump have a problem with his technique? His action is certainly unorthodox. He appears to cue off-line before adjusting at the moment of impact. It’s not something any coach would teach, but it works for him. The answer came in his semi-final recovery against Higgins. Under pressure, his technique is what got him through from 5-2 down. It was a stirring display that left Higgins stating he felt as if he had been “hit by a train.” Zhang can sympathise. He described Trump as a “monster” after losing the last six frames of their final.

This may be true on the table, but Trump is in many ways typical of the great champions of snooker, a sport which seems to naturally attract introverts. Barry Hearn says Steve Davis barely spoke a word for the first two years he knew him. Stephen Hendry admits his shyness as a boy was chronic but that the snooker table was a refuge. Even a character as big as O’Sullivan has said it took him years to feel comfortable in his own skin.

In the darkened rooms where much snooker is played, such personalities can be subsumed into an activity which requires no talking and minimal social contact. Eventually, they find themselves. Davis recently DJ’d at Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury, and Hendry is a gregarious YouTube and podcast host.

Trump was painfully shy when he first turned pro but has become an exceptionally good talker in interviews, giving considered answers and not always toeing the party line. He enjoys a good time but stays out of trouble.

Ranking title No. 24 leaves him one behind Williams and just four off Davis, who occupies fourth place in the all-time list. It’s a great springboard for the season ahead, an important injection of confidence after some disappointing losses.

A successful Trump is also good news for snooker. Audiences love his unique style of play, especially the dashing exhibition shots as the white fizzes around the table in unlikely directions. As Eurosport pundit Neal Foulds once put it: “Judd doesn’t so much make the cue ball talk as get it to confess to unsolved crimes in the 1970s.”

Many top players have had barren spells. Higgins once went three years between ranking title wins. O’Sullivan has won the Masters seven times but it was 10 years between his first and second success. Williams had fallen off the radar before the golden season in which he won his third World Championship.

Trump will be hoping that his own uncertain run is now firmly behind him as he looks forward to a busy period in the calendar. If he can maintain the focus he displayed in Brentwood, more trophies are surely guaranteed.

- - -

Stream top snooker action, including the Wuhan Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com