Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins remain the “benchmark” in snooker, according to Judd Trump, even if the Wizard of Wishaw hasn’t won a trophy in three years. In order to go to the German Masters final, Trump defeated Higgins, and the 48-year-old has received praise from Trump.
At Berlin’s Velodrom, Trump defeated Higgins 5-2 in the quarterfinals, breaking 78, 74, 71, and 68 breaks in the process. Despite the fact that he has already won three titles this season, he made a special effort to commend four-time world champion Higgins, who has endured hardships to equal past victories in the latter stages of his career.
Trump likened Higgins and O’Sullivan to two players who serve as role models for their colleagues. Even though the German Masters finalist has recently outperformed him, the 34-year-old compared his own style to Higgins’.
“He was always just getting over the line for the first five or ten years. Now that I can do the same, too,” Trump remarked in reference to Higgins. “To pot the critical balls, just at the right moments. John’s missed easy ball today made the difference, bringing the score down to 3-3.
He continues to be a useful standard for me. Now that we’re meeting, my level has undoubtedly increased while his has probably just slightly decreased. I can still tell he’s game every time I play him. I’m aware that there will be conflict. He and Ronnie set the standard. I can tell I’m going well if I can defeat that kind of player.”
In order to face Trump, Higgins overcame Mark Allen, but the Northern Ireland star acknowledged that it was “sad” to see Higgins in his current situation. In an attempt to return to his peak performance, he has recruited a sports psychologist. He last experienced triumph in the 2021 Players Championship.
