Judd Trump signalled that his focus is firmly on snooker’s elite occasions after opening his Masters campaign with an emphatic 6–2 victory over Ding Junhui, fuelled by a trio of majestic centuries. The world number one produced a clinical display at Alexandra Palace, closing out the final three frames with authority to book a quarter-final meeting with Mark Allen.
Trump, a two-time Masters champion, has reached 30 ranking titles across an illustrious career but now speaks openly about concentrating on the sport’s biggest stages. As he enters the later phase of his time on tour, he is aiming to fine-tune his schedule to arrive at major events in peak condition. “You just have to dictate by how you are feeling,” he said. “When you put in a performance like that, it must be right.”
Based in Dubai, Trump acknowledges that constant travel has changed the rhythm of his season. He notes that the physical and mental demands of flying regularly mean careful planning is now essential. According to him, the result is greater freshness and sharper motivation when he does step into the arena. “I feel like I have achieved what I wanted to achieve and now is the time to peak a little bit more for the big, big events,” he explained.
His performance against Ding underlined that intent. Trump edged a tight opener before surging clear with breaks of the highest quality, including visits of 116, 117 and 109. Ding briefly threatened a resurgence with fine scoring of his own, yet Trump’s response was decisive, his control in the balls and ruthlessness in the closing frames leaving no route back. He described Ding as having done little wrong, but the momentum and scoring power were overwhelmingly in his favour.
The win continues a strong personal run against the 2011 Masters winner and maintains a curious pattern of 6–2 scorelines at this year’s event. More significantly for Trump, it reinforced a belief that his game is in excellent order despite a trophyless 2025, a rarity in his career. He reached several finals last season and feels the margins have simply fallen the other way. “I feel confident, I have got to a few finals recently, and it has taken some good players to stop me,” he said. “I am full of confidence and I hope I can go one better in this tournament.”
Trump has often spoken about his affection for the Masters atmosphere, describing Alexandra Palace as different in feel from almost any other venue. He relishes the scale of the crowd and the charged environment it creates, insisting that it brings out his most determined snooker. The forthcoming clash with Allen promises another high-quality encounter at a tournament he calls one of his favourites.
With a renewed emphasis on pacing himself, a hunger sharpened by a rare barren year, and the form to compile multiple centuries under pressure, Trump appears intent on ensuring that the sport’s grandest stages bring out his very best once again.
