Judd Trump ended 2023 in style, picking up three top tournament wins. However, he was knocked out in the last four of the first Triple Crown event of the season and lost in the quarter-finals of the Masters. Can Trump bounce back and win the 2024 World Snooker Championship this May?
Trump has been in great form this season, already picking up three tournament wins. His first triumph came at the English Open in Brentwood back in October, as he got the better of Zhang Anda in the final.
The ‘Ace in the Pack’ followed that up with an impressive victory in Wuhan, which was the first event to be held in China since 2019. On the way to an easy 6-1 win against Wu Yize in the final, Trump saw off the likes of Barry Hawkins and Tom Ford.
He then made it a hat-trick of 2023-24 tournament wins by coming out on top at the Northern Ireland Open in late October. He was sensational once again in Belfast, beating Chris Wakelin 9-3 in the final at Waterfront Hall.
Can Trump Recover from Ally Pally Exit?
The Northern Ireland Open was Trump’s last victory, and the 34-year-old headed to London for the Masters as one of the tournament favourites. Even though many snooker fans fancied in-form Trump to secure a third Masters win, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Ali Carter.
Iconic.
— WST (@WeAreWST) January 12, 2024
Judd Trump at Alexandra Palace captured by @expiredfilmclub ?️#TheMasters | @mrqbingo | @juddtrump pic.twitter.com/eE8CydwDXr
The Masters is one of just the three Triple Crown tournaments, so companies scramble for the rights to sponsor the big events. MrQ has won the race, sponsoring the UK Championship and Masters. Gambling has always played a big part in snooker and sport, and there are several sports-based mobile casino games at MrQ. You can play games such as Maradona, Rugby Star, and The Cage.
Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Mark Selby are among the favourites to win the 2024 World Snooker Championship. Trump will have to be at his best in Sheffield, as O’Sullivan has won the opening two Triple Crown events, while Selby always seems to play his best snooker in the biggest events. The likes of Mark Allen, Shaun Murphy, and Neil Robertson cannot be ruled out either.
Looking Back at Trump’s Only World Title
Before last year, Trump had just one world title and one Masters victory to his name. He has been at the top of his game for several years but has struggled to find his best in big tournaments. However, Trump secured his second Masters victory in 2023, four years after his first.
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— Live Snooker (@Livesnooker) January 15, 2024
Three-time champion Judd Trump reels off four consecutive frames from 2-0 down to defeat Jamie Jones 4-2 with high breaks of 80, 81 and 77!#WorldGrandPrix pic.twitter.com/PsZXVPG3Ph
Despite being one of professional snooker’s top performers over the past decade or so, Trump has just one world title to his name. He won the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible in 2019, defeating the likes of Ding Junhui, Stephen Maguire, and Gary Wilson to get to the final.
The experienced John Higgins was waiting in the final, and Trump made light work of the Scotsman. The Bristol star secured a comfortable 18-9 win to get his hands on the World Championship trophy. In doing so, he became the 11th player to win all three Triple Crown events. Can Trump secure a second world crown in 2024?