Judd Trump has voiced his discontent with the playing conditions at the Crucible, despite cruising to a first-round win.
The current world number one notched up four centuries in quick succession, turning a 6-3 overnight lead into a 10-4 triumph over China’s Zhou Yuelong at the World Championship.
Trump, who captured his only world title in 2019, is tipped by many to clinch the crown in Sheffield, especially after Kyren Wilson’s unexpected early exit.
However, victory wasn’t as smooth as it appeared, as he struggled with conditions which he says are “not great for snooker”. Speaking to TNT Sports, Trump said: “It’s not ideal, it’s quite damp and cold in there for me. It’s not great for snooker, even though it looked amazing on TV.
“They’re not my favourite conditions to play in, I think the Masters [at Alexandra Palace] always plays the best. The time of the year affects it. Being cold and the heating on inside is probably perfect for snooker.
“It’s difficult because it’s the same every single year, it’s never going to get easier for me. This tournament, how the table plays, maybe doesn’t suit my style.
“It doesn’t play that reactive and that responsive. But if you go out there with enough confidence and put it to the back of your head you can just about get by.”
Trump has racked up an impressive 98 centuries this season, edging closer to a £100,000 World Snooker Tour bonus he could secure in his next match with Shaun Murphy.
Speaking to the BBC about the tension surrounding his potential bonus, Trump said: “It’s not in my mind but I can feel it in the crowd – it gets quite tense every time I get towards the end.
“It’s something I would like to get out of the way and concentrate on playing Shaun. I felt a little bit nervous tonight but they were going in somehow. It was a great performance but I’ve got to get that [record] out of the way.”
Thursday witnessed another shock exit as Mark Selby, a four-time champion, suffered a 10-8 defeat to qualifier Ben Woollaston. Speaking after the match, which finished after midnight, Selby told the BBC: “It was tough from start to finish.
“I didn’t play nowhere near where I can play and probably didn’t deserve to win. Ben played some good match snooker and his safety was second to none.
“I threw a lot of frames away. I came here with a bit of confidence, but didn’t expect to play like that.”
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