Shaun Murphy makes firm Judd Trump prediction after losing epic Crucible battle

Shaun Murphy is in no doubt that Judd Trump will win the World Snooker Championship this year if he can keep up his current form, saying: ‘If he’s able to sustain the level he produced against me you should give him the trophy now.’

Both men were in excellent form in the blockbuster second round match, with Murphy doing little wrong in a 13-10 defeat to the spectacular world number one.

After an even first session, Trump really hit his stride on Sunday night, making breaks of 89, 97, 106, 132 and 92 to take a 10-6 lead.

Those two centuries took his tally to 100 tons for the season, pocketing himself a bonus of £100,000 in the process.

He went 12-6 up, before Murphy responded with breaks of 88, 72, 112 and 99, with the match suddenly in the balance again at 12-10 in Trump’s favour.

Showing impressive poise, Trump was unfazed and got over the line in the next to book his spot in the quarter-finals.

Murphy feels it is straightforward what will follow, if Trump keeps up that kind of form, and it will be the world number one lifting the trophy on May 5.

‘I don’t think it’s complicated. If he’s able to sustain that level of performance he’ll win the tournament, without question,’ said Murphy.

‘If I was allowed to bet on snooker matches I’d be having as much money as I possibly could on Judd Trump.

‘No one in the tournament is playing that well across all facets of the game and I think he’s showing why he’s world number one. I think it’s his time for a second world title.’

Asked about the scale of the challenge of facing Trump, he said: ‘He’s currently the best player in all departments. We always talk about naughty snooker and his break-building prowess, but his ability to just keep potting balls, his ability out-manoeuvre you in a safety fight doesn’t get enough praise.

‘I think if we were playing Top Trumps – no pun intended – he is the strongest player on the tour right now. He is the best player on the planet right now.

‘If he’s able to sustain the level he produced against me you should give him the trophy now.’

On the suggestion that he should be handed the silverware now, Trump said: ‘Not as easy as that, I wish it was. You can give me it if you want, I’d be happy to take it!

‘Every day is so different at the Crucible, we’re not even halfway through yet. I’m not getting carried away, it’s a great win, but it’s still only the quarter-finals.’

‘It was a very, very high quality match,’ Stephen Hendry said on the BBC of the last 16 contest. ‘We expected it with these two players. It was worthy of a final and they delivered.’

Murphy said on the BBC of a frustrating game: ‘It’s the best I’ve ever played this year at the Championship and lost, I can’t criticise myself too much.

‘I came up against the world number one, the best player on the planet, playing really well. All I can do is praise him, he played fantastically well. We’ll have to go again.’

Next up for Trump looks almost certain to be Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals as the Belgian Bullet holds a 12-4 lead over Ding Junhui heading into the final session of their second round match.

They return to complete that game at 7pm on Monday, with the quarter-finals getting underway on Tuesday.