sportbible
JUDD TRUMP has effectively put an end to his 13-year title drought by clinching the UK Championship, earning a fantastic £1million bonus this festive season.
The Juddernaut has established himself as the leading player in the sport this year, but he had to battle fiercely for this latest triumph, overcoming Barry Hawkins with a score of 10-8 in front of 1,200 fans at the Barbican.
The world No.1 will soon receive a check for £250,000, having amassed over £1million in winnings over just ten competitions since the summer.
Kyren Wilson is the reigning world champion, while Ronnie O’Sullivan is regarded as the greatest player of all time, but at 35, Trump is undeniably the standout player worldwide at this moment.
York hasn’t historically favored Trump since his first victory in 2011.
However, this moment will be one he treasures as he lifted his fifth Triple Crown title, tying records with the late Alex Higgins.
This week has been especially emotional for Hawkins, who missed the funeral of his club mentor last Wednesday while preparing to face David Gilbert in the second round.
It has also been a taxing week, and just twelve hours after his lengthy semi-final win past 1am that bled into December, a fatigued Hawkins found himself back at the table by 1pm.
With sleep disruption in play, concerns arose regarding how his grueling match against Mark Allen would affect his performance on this pivotal day.
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As he made his way down the arena steps, he received a standing ovation, but fatigue didn’t restrain him during frame two, where he achieved a spectacular 116 break.
His energy seemed unperturbed as he fiercely battled in frame four, making an impressive recovery.
Behind the scenes in the BBC’s commentary box during the UK Snooker Championship
The Kent player made a thrilling comeback from a 69-0 deficit – Trump’s
What made this achievement even more astonishing was the tremble of nervous energy in his back arm during the clearance.
Trump responded by winning three consecutive frames, with a break of 102 marking his tenth century in the tournament.
Hawkins, however, managed to stay in contention by leading with a 5-3 scoreline entering the evening session, answering Trump’s 51 with a break of 81.
The qualifier performed admirably, but Trump had quick responses each time Hawkins tightened the frame margin.
In frame 15, Trump achieved a break of 133, marking his 11th century in the tournament and his best score overall. Hawkins then cut down the deficit to 9-8 with breaks of 75 and 82, but a missed red opportunity in frame 18 stunted his momentum.
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A tense exchange of safety shots unfolded, with Hawkins needing two snookers; however, Trump retained his poise throughout a 34-minute standoff to avoid it going to a deciding final frame.
Hawkins’s quest for a Triple Crown title continues to elude him, as this loss adds to his previous defeats in the World Championship and two Masters finals.
If he wasn’t troubled enough by competing against Trump already, he is set to face him again in the first round of the Masters at Ally Pally next month.
