JUDD TRUMP WON his first Masters title in commanding fashion with a 10-4 win over seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final at London’s Alexandra Palace on Sunday.
Trump rarely looked back, establishing a 7-1 lead in the opening session and that was too much of a deficit even for O’Sullivan to overcome in this all-English contest.
Victory gave Trump just his second title in a ‘triple crown event (World Championship, UK Championship and Masters) following the 29-year-old’s 2011 UK success.
Trump is proving something of a bogey man for O’Sullivan, who last month won the UK Championship for a seventh time, as he also defeated ‘The Rocket’ in the final of the Northern Ireland Open in November.
“I want to congratulate Judd — he played fantastically well,” O’Sullivan, 43, told the BBC. “Seven-one down against him was nigh on impossible. I tried to have a go but it just wasn’t enough.
“Overall this year has been OK, but you are naturally disappointed when you lose in a final.”
Trump surged into as 4-0 lead that included breaks of 89 and 87 before O’Sullivan, who had only scored 45 points in total in those first four frames, won the fifth with a break of 69.
But there was no stopping Trump as he won the next three.
O’Sullivan won the first frame of the evening session only for Trump to respond immediately with a break of 88 as he went 8-2 up.
The next three frames saw O’Sullivan make century clearances of 114 and 109, either side of Trump moving to within one frame of victory.
But any remaining hopes of a stunning comeback were dashed when O’Sullivan left a pink over the pocket, allowing Trump to finish the job.
“I have waited a long time for this…it is a dream come true,” said Trump.
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About time. The coverage of the Masters this week has been very poor from the 42. Trump really maturing.
@Conor Houlihan: Nobody is interested that’s why.
@Derek Kelly☘: I wouldn’t agree with that. Just because you have no interest doesn’t mean nobody does. Snooker is absolutely massive in UK & Asia so your argument is flawed my friends.
@Conor Houlihan: been a busy few weeks for him trying to win this and get his wall built! Fair play!
@Derek Kelly☘: why did you click into the article so?
Hopefully Trump kicks on from here. Serious player on his day
the crowd bursting into applause and whistling after practically every shot Ronnie plays is ridiculous.
Ronnie had been quite poor by his standards all week. Seemed fragile this week, making mistakes that you wouldn’t associate with a player of his genius, hitting the bulk colours during safety exchanges and not getting to grips with the speed of the clothe. Hopefully Ronnie will roar back in the worlds, along with Selby, Robertson and a few others. Well done Judd, 10-10 in head to heads with Ronnie, and beaten him in the last two finals and still under 30.
@Dan Finlay: Bulk colours?
Over powers hahahaha