AARON HILL HAS described beating Judd Trump in the Northern Ireland Open as “an absolutely brilliant feeling”. 

Hill had a 4-1 victory over last year’s World Championship finalist yesterday – some two years after he shot to fame as an 18-year-old by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan at the European Masters in Milton Keynes.   

“It’s an absolutely brilliant feeling,” Hill told World Snooker after his win against Trump.

He added: “I stayed positive the whole match and said I’d rather go out by missing something than playing defensive. I played my own game from the get-go, attacked, played some good snooker. I’m really happy with how I got over the line.

“It means the world to me. When I had a big win against Ronnie two years ago I didn’t quite back it up because I was inexperienced. When I started losing matches after that expectations started to build. It just felt like a monkey on my shoulders, and I couldn’t get him off.

“When I dropped off the tour that kind of gave me a different perspective. When I got through Q-School it was the biggest relief ever. Hopefully now I won’t look back.”

Hill now plays Tom Ford in the last 32 of the Northern Ireland Open this evening.

“I don’t want to be just out there playing the likes of Judd and Ronnie – I want to be going out and there and beating them and on a more consistent level,” he said. 

“I know I’m good enough to be getting these kinds of results, it’s just about trying to find a bit of consistency now. I’m really happy with how my game is. Hopefully I can kick on.

“The things that were going through my head playing snooker a year ago, even a couple of months ago, it’s not the right things to be thinking. You channel yourself to think negative thoughts in that seat when you’re out there. That’s not the person I am. I’m a positive person.

“I learned a few tools in the last couple of months there. The only thing you have in life is your mind. Why would you turn it against you? It’s your best friend, keep it on your side and you’ll get results like I did tonight.”