'Unbelievable' - Ronnie O'Sullivan defends Judd Trump's unique cue action after horror miss at Welsh Open

Published 06/03/2022 at 19:40 GMT

Judd Trump is seeking his first ranking tournament title of the season and shared the opening session of the Welsh Open final with Joe Perry. He really should have taken a 5-3 lead, but missed a simple pink. Ronnie O'Sullivan feels the brilliance Trump has means the mistakes that he can produce should be accepted.

'Wow, that is unbelievable' - O'Sullivan says Trump's cue action has made him the player he is

Ronnie O’Sullivan feels Judd Trump’s unorthodox cue action has made him the player he is.

Trump’s cue action came under the microscope in the eighth frame of the Welsh Open final, as he missed a simple, short-range pink.

It allowed Joe Perry to share the session at 4-4, and prompted a discussion between Jimmy White and Neal Founds on Trump’s cueing.

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Both said it is unorthodox, and that he flourishes on account of his natural talent and brilliant eye.

O’Sullivan concurred with that view, and said the misses need to be accepted as he can produce shots no other players are capable of.

“His cue action allows him to play some of the shots that people rave about,” O’Sullivan said in the Eurosport studio for the concluding session of the Welsh Open.

“He is going to miss the odd ball, like the pink when he comes across the ball. But you have to forgive it sometimes. How often does he miss a ball like this? Not very often.

“But then the amount of times he is able to screw balls in, open balls up and manoeuvre the white. You are like ‘wow, that is unbelievable, no-one else can do that.’

“That is probably because he comes across the ball and is able to really generate some power and flexibility.”

'Wow! How has he missed that?' - Trump shocks with crucial miss on simple pink

O’Sullivan feels Trump may have stumbled across something special by accident.

“Maybe that is the modern way to play,” O’Sullivan said. “We are looking at science in sport, but have maybe stumbled across something unknowingly that allows him to create angles and pot balls that no other snooker player would even attempt.”