Judd Trump is beginning to look like a ruthless predator on the snooker table – hungrier than ever before to win titles.
Just a week after winning the European Masters in Belgium – the first time he’s successfully defended a ranking event title – he’s now setting his sights on another first.
His hopes of landing the English Open this week in Barnsley would mark the first time he’s ever won back-to-back events, which he openly admits is another personal target he’s set himself this season.
This kind of desire to continuously achieve new things and pass important career milestones is a sure sign that Trump has the fire in his belly to become the best player in the world over the coming years.
Do that again (watch green & black)... @Eurosport_UK #EnglishOpen
Not only is Trump talking the talk but he’s also walking the walk as he needed close to his very best to see off Robbie Williams in the last 128.
The world number four found himself 3-2 behind despite having made two centuries and then won the last two frames when he knew he couldn’t afford to put a foot wring to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory.
While on paper this might look like an early scare for Trump, this hard-fought first round win could yet prove to become a useful early test as he goes in search of his very best form for the second week in succession.
Players like Judd enjoy bullying their way through the early rounds of events relatively untroubled – an occurrence which has become all the more common in today’s world of flat 128 draws as a result of some often wildly mismatched first round draws.
But in drawing Williams, Trump has come up against a steely lower-ranked opponent in which he has had to produce the goods from ball one. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being the catalyst for another week of top-quality performance for Trump.
