Judd Trump brushes off Kyren Wilson defeat and swiftly moves on from Masters
Judd Trump did not spend time bemoaning his Masters semi-final loss to Kyren Wilson, dismissing the defeat as an off day and returning to the table on Monday.
The ongoing battle for supremacy between the world number one and the world champion continued at Alexandra Palace, with Wilson winning their semi 6-3 on Saturday night.
It was something of an upset as Trump was tournament favourite and looked brilliant in a 6-3 win over Ding Junhui the day before, but also hardly a shock as Wilson has beaten the Ace in two big finals already this campaign.
Trump is not moping about, back in action already, starting Championship League Group Five with four wins out of four on Monday.
‘I’d rather get out the house, to be honest,’ Trump told Metro of playing in Leicester this week. ‘I was away a bit before the Masters, so it’s nice to get sharp again.’
He underperformed in defeat to Wilson at the weekend, but rather than over-analysing it, he knows he cannot hit peak form constantly and could still have won regardless.
‘I just felt a bit flat,’ he said. ‘The atmosphere was brilliant when we walked in and to go 3-2 up I was playing ok, playing solid, but just felt a bit flat after that.
Trump couldn’t hit the form he managed in wins over Barry Hawkins and Ding Junhui (Picture: Getty Images)
‘There were a couple of shots I tried, the cut-back black [at 3-3], if it goes in I probably make the break and the match maybe goes the other way. They normally go in, this one didn’t, then after that I didn’t have much of a look-in.
‘Kyren played ok. It was just one of them games where the balls fell a bit awkward when he missed. I missed a couple of mid-range pots that I’d normally get and at this level that’s the difference. It’s fine margins. It’s little things. It happens.’
It was the fourth time the pair have played this season and Wilson leads 3-1, with Trump suggesting that the world champion is enjoying the benefits of a purple patch.
‘I think a few times against Kyren I’ve not really played my best,’ he said. ‘Things haven’t quite happened like they do against other players. When he misses it doesn’t seem to go as easy as against some of the other players.
‘When you’re world champion and running round full of confidence I think you do get the luck. I’ve had it in the past, you get away with things more and you’ve kind of earned it. That’s the only real difference at the minute.’
The Ace has had a great season, winning three big events so far but says he is better now than ever before at accepting every week cannot be his week.
‘It’s very difficult to win every single event I play in,’ he said. ‘I think sometimes everyone expects me to play how I played in the first two games every game, but it’s very difficult to do.
‘It’s never nice losing but I’ve got better at accepting that I tried my best and just go on to the next event and try and win that.
‘I think it’s worse when you lose a tight one. Losing to Ali [Carter] the year before was a worse loss. I didn’t feel like I threw this one away. I was just never really on top form.
‘Kyren did well in the first couple of frames and then I was just battling back, even though I got in front, I was never in full control, compared to how I played against Ding.
‘It just happens. If it didn’t happen then I’d just win every event, so it has to happen at some point.’
The world number one did think that the Masters is continuing to grow impressively, with the players always relishing the atmosphere, prize money increasing and fan experience improving at Alexandra Palace.
‘The tournament was good as a whole, it was good for snooker, the best standard for a while, I think,’ he said. ‘There were good changes to the tournament that made it better for the spectators and made the tournament better.
‘More interactions for fans, more chances to play snooker themselves, more of a buzz around. It felt like the audience had more to pick and choose.’
Wilson went on to lose the final 10-7 to Shaun Murphy, with the Warrior’s post-match speech stirring up some debate.
The runner-up made a joke about Murphy’s more advanced age and suggested some of his rivals are envious of his family life, which all seemed to be received well enough in the arena where the interview was taking place, but raised some eyebrows elsewhere.
Trump has been criticised for some runner-up speeches in the past and admits that it can be really difficult after a painful loss, when there can be a decision to be made on speaking honestly or the least controversially.
‘I think the first thing everybody said at the Championship League was: “Did you watch that?”‘ Trump said of Wilson’s speech.
‘I don’t think he particularly put himself in good light. I don’t know if it was a private joke, but it doesn’t seem that many people took it that well, from what I’ve read.
‘It’s happened a couple of times, he’s not the best loser, but it’s not the worst thing to be hurting like that. It makes you hungrier and you don’t want to let it happen again when you experience that. Everyone will get over it and it’ll be fine.
Kyren Wilson on Masters final defeat
On the match
‘I just made it too easy for Shaun today, just threw him in the balls too many times. You can’t do that with how well Shaun’s been playing this week.
‘But I proved why I’m the world champion, I fought as hard as I could. From 8-4, a lot of people probably would have written me off, but if the red goes in at 8-7 that could have been my clearance for 8-8 and we could be looking at a different scoreline. Every credit to Shaun, making a century to finish for the fans. Well done to Shaun.’
On a great season so far
‘No disrespect to Shaun but he’s turned into an old man so he needs this more than me.
‘I’m 33 years old, coming into my prime, I’m having an amazing season. Runner-up obviously isn’t where I want to be but we’ve got Berlin next week, so I’ll go and smash it in Germany.’
On family support
‘This is something that I feel like a lot of players are probably envious of on tour. I’ve got such a great family unit, so many friends and family that have come down to support me. I’m a lucky lad, win or lose. I’ve lost, I’m gutted, but I tell you what I’m going to consume so many Jagerbombs tonight and have the best night ever.
‘In all seriousness, what an amazing venue. Every credit to World Snooker, Johnstone’s Paint, all the sponsors. The crowd have been amazing all week.’
‘I’ve done it in the past. He probably means what he says, you just can’t really say it. There’s a fine line between being honest and trying to keep everyone happy. Sometimes it’s better to be a little bit false and say something you don’t really mean, just suck it up to keep everyone happy. It’s something I’ve tried to learn, but it’s so difficult.
‘If I feel like I’m unlucky then I say it. If I just feel like I missed balls then I’ll say that. It’s important to say what you feel, you don’t want everyone to turn into puppets. You want some instant reaction, you don’t want to lose the sense of players’ honesty.
‘The atmosphere at the Masters is not nice when you lose. I’ve not lost in one, but can’t imagine it in the final. I’ve experienced it at a few other tournaments and I think that’s probably even worse. There’s not that much to read into it, he was hurting a little bit, it’s good to see how much it means to players.’
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