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The second blog for The Yorker from the University of York Riding Club
At only 21 years old, Trump was making just his second appearance in the competition and surprised viewers and commentators alike by reaching the final.
His first appearance in the competition came in 2007, two years after he turned professional, but the inexperienced 17-year-old was knocked out in the first round.
This time around however, he came into the competition off the back of a win at the 2011 China Open, in which he defeated Mark Selby 10-8 in the final.
As only a qualifier in the World Championships, however, he was drawn against reigning champion Neil Robertson in the first round and probably wouldn’t have been expected to win – which he did, 10-8.
In the next rounds he defeated Martin Gould 13–6, Graeme Dott 13–5 and Ding Junhui 17–15, drawing attention and admiration from fellow players, notably Ronnie O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan tweeted ““Never seen anyone pot so well. Scary” and Higgins said of Trump after the final “He's the new wonder boy the sport's been looking for.” Great praise indeed from two of the sport’s greatest players.
Despite not winning the final against Higgins, his performance was superb and as a result he has soared from world number 24 to 9. That’s two places above Ronnie O’Sullivan. And he looks like he will only get better and this will be a fantastic kick-start to his career.
So, what is it about Trump that is fascinating? Well, not only is he a good player, with an fantastic eye for long pots and seemingly impossible angles, but he is also not afraid to take on pots when others might chose a safety shot instead. This makes his game more exciting to watch and this is just what snooker needs.
This attacking approach may bring him a few critics, who will note that it was shots such as these that he missed in the final and cost him the last few frames. However, Trump says he won’t change his style of play and, with experience, those errors will surely soon turn into successful shots and create match winning moments.
The runner-up received £125,000 and revealed that instead of paying off his mortgage, he will buy a new car, ideally a Lamborghini.
His other targets are to top the world rankings, which I shouldn’t imagine will take him too long, and to be crowned champion at The Crucible, likewise only a matter of time for this exciting young star.
John Higgins was undeniably as good, if not better, than his young opponent in the final and deservedly won the title. After a tough year blighted with a six-month ban for betting regulation infringements, followed by the loss of his father to cancer, he claimed his fourth World Championship title.
Higgins is aiming to reach Stephen Hendry’s record of seven World Championship titles. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump gets there one day too.
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