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JUDD TRUMP has finally broken a 13-year spell without a title by winning the UK Championship, earning a fantastic £1million bonus this festive season.
The Juddernaut has emerged as the leading player in the sport this year, but he had to battle fiercely for this recent triumph, overcoming Barry Hawkins 10-8 in front of an audience of 1,200 at the Barbican.
The world No.1 is set to pocket a cheque for £250,000, having garnered over £1million in winnings across just ten tournaments since the summer.
Kyren Wilson currently holds the world champion title, and Ronnie O’Sullivan is regarded as the greatest ever player, but at just 35 years old, Trump is undoubtedly the top player in the world today.
Trump has not always found success in York since his first title in 2011.
Nonetheless, he will treasure this moment as he lifted his fifth Triple Crown title, equaling the late Alex Higgins.
This week has been particularly tough for Hawkins, who had to miss the funeral of his club-room mentor last Wednesday to compete against David Gilbert in the second round.
It has been a grueling week, and just twelve hours after his lengthy 1am semi-final victory, which extended into December, a fatigued Hawkins found himself back at the table by 1pm.
With disrupted sleep, concerns loomed over how his previous demanding match against Mark Allen would affect his performance on this crucial day.
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As he made his way down the steps of the arena, he was met with a standing ovation, but fatigue didn’t slow him down in frame two, where he executed a brilliant 116 break.
His energy seemed intact as he fought hard in frame four, achieving a remarkable turnaround.
Behind the scenes in the BBC’s commentary box during the UK Snooker Championship
The Kent player thrillingly came back from 69-0 down – Trump’s
What made this achievement even more impressive was the way his back arm trembled with nervous energy during the clearance.
Trump responded strongly by winning the next three consecutive frames, with a break of 102 marking his tenth century of the tournament.
Hawkins, however, kept himself in the game by reaching a 5-3 score as they entered the evening session, countering Trump’s 51 with an 81 break.
The qualifier performed commendably, but each time he narrowed the frame margin, Trump promptly replied.
In frame 15, Trump achieved a 133 break, his 11th century of the event and his highest score overall. Hawkins then narrowed the gap to 9-8 with breaks of 75 and 82, but a missed red opportunity in frame 18 halted his charge.
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A tense exchange of safety shots occurred, with Hawkins needing two snookers, but Trump displayed remarkable composure during a 34-minute standoff to prevent the match from heading to a deciding final frame.
Hawkins’s pursuit of a Triple Crown title continues to be elusive, as this defeat adds to his losses in the World Championship and two Masters finals.
If he wasn’t already weary of competing against Trump, he will face him again in the first round of the Masters at Ally Pally next month.
