Judd Trump said the size of the crowds at the first World Open snooker tournament to be held in China since 2019 were a “surprise” after defending his title by beating Ding Junhui 10-4 in the final.
The world number two led 7-2 at the end of the first session in Yushan with breaks of 88, 79 and 78 – a gap the 34-year-old said he was keen to establish in front of fans predominantly backing the most successful Chinese player ever.
A 130, 106 and 85 helped him to his fifth title of what he called a “dream season” and a 28th ranking title overall.
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“I managed to just dig in this afternoon and get a good lead,” Trump told World Snooker Tour.
“I then probably played the best I have in the tournament and managed to get over the line quite comfortably.
“Whenever you’ve got a lead like that, you’re more relaxed and play like you’re at practice. I knew how important it was to get off to a good lead because you could feel the support behind him. Sometimes you have to use it to your advantage and to motivate yourself.
“The crowds have been massive, which is a bit of a surprise, coming back here. The fans here are so young, especially compared to the UK. That’s promising for snooker.”
Trump reacts to securing his fifth ranking title in a “dream season”! 🔥 #WORLDOPEN @JUDDTRUMP PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZQZICTSRRQ
— WST (@WeAreWST) MARCH 24, 2024
World Open snooker final: Trump on China
First held in 1982, the tournament was held in China for the first time in 2012 but missed four years because of the Covid pandemic.
Trump also elaborated on remarks he had made about his work on mindset, explaining his philosophy of “not punishing yourself”.
“You see it a lot with players punishing themselves when they miss easy balls,” he observed.
“As I’ve got older, I’ve realised I’m not trying to miss. You go back to your chair, forget about it, look on the bright side and wait for the next chance.
“If you can mentally be in the right space when your chance comes, it’s a hell of a big advantage. It took about 25 years to master and I’m not there yet. “
