November 26th 2024.
On Tuesday, two of the top snooker players, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson, will face off in an exciting match at the UK Championship in York. Despite some heated comments made by Trump after their previous encounter, there seems to be no bad blood between the two players.
In their last match at the Champion of Champions tournament, Robertson emerged victorious, but Trump felt that luck had been on his opponent's side. "I thought I was very unlucky," Trump stated. "To be honest, I think Neil knows that he didn't deserve to win like that, but that happens." He went on to add, "It was a tough game, it was very slow. I love Neil but there was a lot of slow play and he's a much better player when he just gets on with it."
It seems that Robertson heard these comments loud and clear, as he jokingly asked Trump to remove any curse that may have been placed on him. Robertson, who had to go through qualifying rounds to reach the UK Championship, playfully responded, "Had a bit of fun with that, but who knows?"
However, Robertson has made it clear that there is no feud between them. Reflecting on their last match, he stated, "I think if you look back and analyze the game, I was probably a bit unlucky not to win 6-3." He also acknowledged that it can be difficult to give a full assessment of a match immediately after losing, saying, "When a microphone is stuck in front of your face literally seconds after you got beat, it's very tough to give a full assessment of the match."
Despite Trump's comments potentially adding some extra tension to their upcoming match, Robertson believes that his opponent doesn't need any external motivation. "He doesn't like losing," Robertson said, noting Trump's incredible drive to continuously compete and win tournaments. "He's an absolute credit to the game and his attitude is amazing."
The two players have a friendly relationship off the table as well, with Robertson mentioning how Trump was the first player to congratulate him after his win at the Masters in 2022. "He invited me out in London to party later on, but I'm a bit too old for that now," Robertson joked.
Regarding his own slow play in their previous match, Robertson admits that he may have gotten too bogged down at times. However, he believes that implementing a "time management system" could help prevent players from taking too much time on their shots. "I'm definitely not slower on purpose," he stated. "It's always a hindrance to anyone's game."
Robertson suggests a system where players can visually see how much time they've taken on a shot, rather than a shot clock that beeps. "We need some sort of time management system that benefits the players," he said. "It's not there as a punishment to make them play quicker." He believes that this could ultimately benefit both the players and the game.
The match between Trump and Robertson is sure to be a thrilling one, as they both have a strong desire to win. They will face off at 1pm on Tuesday, with a spot in the last 16 of the UK Championship at stake.
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