Snooker news: 'Lovely, Mr Trump' – Watch Judd Trump enjoy his first dip in pool without jump shot
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ByEurosport
Updated 14/09/2021 at 11:52 GMT
2019 world champion Judd Trump coasted to a 9-0 whitewash of American Joe Magee in the first round of the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City. While it may be too early to predict a charge at the elite nine-ball title in his first competitive tournament on the smaller blue baize, Trump showed enough class to suggest he has not flown to the US to make up the numbers in the 256-man field.
Two incredible Judd Trump shots - but which was better?
In a curious case of white ball men can't jump, Judd Trump proved that his mastery of the angles at snooker came in handy when faced with similar problems on the pool table.
The 2019 world champion produced a number of glorious shots on the blue baize as he overwhelmed Joe Magee 9-0 in the first round of the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City to secure a meeting with Dhruvalkumal Patel in the second round on Tuesday.
"First couple of racks, I was quite nervous," said Trump. "My break-off was pretty good. I was getting some chances which I was worried about before the start and it helped me settle down really.
"I potted a few shots which I'm happy about. I'm not getting too carried away after the first round.
I love being out there with the crowd around me. It is good because it gets me out of my comfort zone. It is a different kind of pressure.
Stiffer challenges will lie ahead if Trump is to make a charge at winning the elite nine-ball tournament, but the Juddernaut certainly seems well equipped to handle life in the smaller, more rapid cue sport.
The break-off shot and the jump shot were supposed to be two key aspects he was lacking in his pool armoury, but neither posed many problems for Trump on his competitive debut as he proved by holing the two ball off the side rail rather than jump the six.
"When you can do that, who needs the jump cue?" said commentator Nick Schulman. "Lovely, Mr Trump. That was beautiful."
"I potted some really good shots," commented Trump. "I didn't get the chance to get my jump shot out, but maybe in the next game I will give people the chance to see it."
Leading 7-0 in the race to nine racks, Trump also gave the crowd some exhibition shots on the hill as he sunk the eight ball despite being tight against the object ball.
The 22-times ranking event winner returns to snooker action LIVE on Eurosport next month when he chases a record fourth straight Northern Ireland Open title in Belfast.
The Northern Ireland Open is the third ranking event of the season and is LIVE on Eurosport and Quest between October 9-17 as part of the Home Nations Series including the English Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open
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