Judd Trump produced a performance of real resilience to beat Stuart Bingham 9-7 and with it make it back-to-back European Masters titles.
By his own admission, he was second best in large spells of this high-quality final as Bingham hit three centuries and attacked the match from ball one.
But at key moments, it was Trump who delivered the goods.
From 4-2 down, he pinched two frames to take the match all square at the interval. And then from 5-4 down, he won three consecutive frames to assert his authority on the match.
He was then forced to watch on as Bingham levelled at 7-7 in what looked like a big momentum shift. His response was sublime as he won the final two frames, including a century of his own in the last, to close out the match and clinch the trophy in the style of a true champion.
This win is a significant one for Trump, not only because of the manner in which he achieved it but because it’s the first time he’s managed to defend a title – a feat which is certainly not easy in today’s competitive snooker landscape.
Trump’s victory also marks an eighth ranking title as he continues to accumulate the honours to match is remarkable talent. In the previous campaign, he was arguably the most consistent performer on the professional circuit despite falling short in a couple of the biggest events.
His main objective looking to the future will be to put that right in the next couple of years and land the top titles to take him to the next level as a champion.
Despite being around for what feels like an eternity since he dramatically broke through with victory at the China Open and a runners-up medal in the World Championship in 2011 when he was just 21, we must be reminded that Trump is still young in snooker terms.
He is still just 28 and definitely has time on his side to emulate the games very greatest players.
Judd Trump. We’re all behind you.
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