Stephen Hendry names ‘the man to beat’ at the World Snooker Championship
'He's got everything!'
Stephen Hendry believes Judd Trump is the ‘man to beat’ at the World Snooker Championship ahead of the Crucible quarter-finals getting underway on Tuesday.
Trump has been in fine form so far in Sheffield, beating Zhou Yuelong 10-4 in his opening game, with five centuries along the way.
The world number one then brought up 100 centuries for the season in his 13-10 win over Shaun Murphy in the second round, seeing off the Masters champion despite an impressive performance from the Magician.
The 35-year-old is into the quarter-finals where he will play either Luca Brecel or Ding Junhui and Hendry feels he is the most likely winner at this stage.
With the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins still in the competition, it is some compliment that the seven-time world champ sees Trump as the man to beat.
‘Judd’s game is so impressive – he’s got everything,’ Hendry said on BBC Two. ‘His safety game can compete with anybody’s, his break building has matured over the last couple of years, his cue ball control is immaculate.
‘He’s definitely the man to beat here. Judd was pretty much unplayable for most of the session last night [Sunday].’
Trump has won three big titles already this season, lifting the UK Championship, Saudi Arabia Masters and Shanghai Masters trophies.
Hendry feels Trump’s consistency and relentless desire to win is part of what makes him one of the absolute best on the table.
‘It’s what separates the best from the rest, it’s players who can not let up,’ said the Scot. ‘They just want to keep up pounding on their opponent, keep up the humiliation, keep them in their chair.
‘Judd has become almost in the same vein as O’Sullivan in really destroying opponents.’
Former world champion John Parrott agrees with Hendry, feeling that Trump will be extremely difficult to stop if he keeps up the kind of form he has shown so far at the Crucible.
Parrott finds it baffling that 2019 has been the only time Trump has conquered the Crucible so far in his career.
‘He’s only won one World Championship, so far. Work that one out!’ Parrott said. ‘I think this could be number two, there’s nobody at the minute playing better than he is.
‘Somebody’s going to have to play unbelievable stuff to even keep with him at the moment.’
Up next for Trump is probably Brecel as the Belgian Bullet takes a 12-4 lead over Ding into the final session of their second round match.
The other quarter-final on their half of the draw is a clash of Class of 92 legends as John Higgins and Mark Williams face each other.
In the top half of the draw Chris Wakelin faces Zhao Xintong, while Ronnie O’Sullivan or Pang Junxu plays Si Jiahui or Ben Woollaston.
