August 22nd 2024.
Judd Trump has been having a remarkable season so far. He is thrilled that Ronnie O'Sullivan is still competing at the top level of snooker. Trump believes that the Rocket has no plans to retire and give him the opportunity to dominate the sport. Both players had an outstanding season last year, each winning five tournaments. However, they were both disappointed with their exits in the quarter-finals at the Crucible.
Despite their early exits, Trump has not slowed down at all. He started this season with a bang, winning the Shanghai Masters and defeating O'Sullivan on his way to the title. The two snooker powerhouses are currently competing at the Xi'an Grand Prix, with both of them making it to the quarter-finals. During the event, O'Sullivan expressed his desire to win a record-breaking eighth World Championship before he hangs up his cue for good.
"I suppose if there is one thing I would love to do, it is to win another World Championship," O'Sullivan said. "That would be eight and I would have every record there is in snooker to have. I am currently tied with Stephen Hendry, which is a great achievement, but it would be nice to have all the records. That would be a dream come true for me, to look back at my career and say, I have done pretty well."
Trump is glad that O'Sullivan is still aiming for the biggest prize in snooker. He believes that his own success might be motivating O'Sullivan to keep going. "I think it's good for me that he still has that fighting spirit," Trump shared with SportsBoom. "He's someone who enjoys being in the spotlight. If I am winning these tournaments as well, he won't want to step away and let me take all the limelight. If others were winning one or two tournaments a year, he could settle. But no one is really making the headlines."
Trump is having another impressive run in a Chinese event, having won the Wuhan Open and World Open last season. He attributes his success to spending a lot of time in Hong Kong in recent months, which has helped him get used to competing in that part of the world. "In the last seven months, I have been in Hong Kong, so I am more used to playing in these conditions and time zone than anyone else," Trump explained during a press conference. "I sleep very well compared to everyone else. I think everyone else struggles with sleep or is very tired. I feel the warmth from the fans and I am very happy here. I feel safe and the weather is much better. Everyone is very friendly and I have a lot of support here."
Trump will be facing either Dave Gilbert or Mark Selby in the quarter-finals, while O'Sullivan will take on Matt Selt in the last eight. The rest of the quarter-final action will see Barry Hawkins play against Daniel Wells and Kyren Wilson against Xu Si. It's an exciting time for snooker, with two of the best players in the world still competing at the top level and putting on a show for their fans.
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