Judd Trump is predicting a great Masters final between Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins on Sunday, but admits he would like to see the Hawk lift the trophy after the final ball is potted.
Trump was beaten 6-5 by Hawkins in a tense semi-final on Saturday night, after Robertson had ousted Mark Williams by the same scoreline in an even more dramatic match earlier in the day.
Hawkins’ win seemed routine compared to Robertson’s after the Australian came from 4-1 and 5-3 down and then came back from the dead in the decider after needing two snookers to win it on the black.
Judd had clearly been watching in the afternoon as he joked that his deciding frame defeat could have been far more painful.
‘I always enjoy it. It’s just important to not be too hard on yourself,’ Trump said after defeat to Hawkins. ‘As you’ve seen, it could have been worse, I could have lost like Mark Williams.
‘You’ve got to take the positives. It would have been different if I started twitching and missing easy balls. I just didn’t get a chance in the last two frames. There’s only so hard you can be on yourself.’
Turning his attention to the final, he would like to see Hawkins lift his first Triple Crown title, having lost in a Masters and World Championship final in the past.
‘I’m happy for Barry, I really hope he does go on and win it,’ said Judd. ‘I think he is overdue one and it will be an amazing atmosphere out there. Neil is also a great guy, so it’ll be a great final.’
Assessing Hawkins, who has three ranking titles to his name, Trump feels he actually finds it tougher away from the big lights, against the lesser players on tour.
However, he reckons that the Hawk could have feathered his nest with many major titles if he had not run into an inspired Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2013 World Championship final, which he lost 18-12.
‘I keep saying it, he’s got a great record against me. He’s always really, really tough to beat,’ Judd said of Barry.
‘I think, for him, he just struggles against some of the lower ranked people, that’s all it is really.
‘If he had have won the World final when he came up against Ronnie playing his absolute best, it would have been a whole different story, I think. He’d have had multiple titles at big events. But you’re never too late in snooker nowadays.’
Pushed for a prediction and whether he was following his heart by tipping Hawkins, Trump wouldn’t go quite that far.
‘No! I’d never back against Neil,’ he said. ‘I just hope that there’s some drama, I hope it goes 9-9.’
As for Trump, it is more disappointment in a big event, but he did not seem too downbeat and sees it as another step towards rediscovering his blistering best form, which has been lacking so far this season.
‘I just want to try and get back to playing somewhere near my best,’ he said. ‘It’s been a bit of a struggle. In spells in this tournament I’ve played okay, but I just don’t really feel that fluent, it feels like real hard work when I’m playing.
‘I just need to get my mindset right and play as many tournaments as possible to try and win and get that confidence back.’
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