Judd Trump ‘not bothered’ by £100k World Championship prize as he ruins WST party | Other | Sport
Judd Trump insists he was not bothered by securing a century of centuries in a single season, despite it landing him a mega £100,000 pay day. It comes after The Ace joked that by banking the prize, he would delight in ruining the WST staff Christmas party.
The moment Trump achieved the feat came during Sunday’s evening session at the World Championship. Leading 8-6 against Shaun Murphy, the 35-year-old superbly potted for a century. Most of the crowd stood to applaud the world No. 1, who seemed taken aback by the reaction. He held his hand up several times to thank the fans inside The Crucible Theatre. Having won the frame to lead 9-6, Trump returned to his seat to another standing ovation.
However, Trump confessed that he was unbothered about reaching a century of centuries in a single season – something only he and Neil Robertson have managed in previous years – and only felt compelled to bask in the moment because of the crowd’s reaction. He won the next frame to lead 10-6 after the evening session, before sealing his passage into the quarter-final with a 13-10 triumph over Murphy.
Asked about his achievement, Trump nonchalantly told the BBC: “I wasn’t that bothered. It was difficult because the crowd were so appreciative that they made me take it in. It was a really nice moment. It’s a special feeling but it’s not a record that, as a kid, I was trying to get. It’s got a bit of a different meaning. It’s nice to get it, especially here at the Crucible. Look, I really wanted to win that game.
“I missed a couple [of balls], but it wasn’t out of nerves [because of the record] or anything like that.”
BBC pundit John Parrott pointed out that Trump still had to concentrate on winning another frame to win at that point, with the star responding: “The money is nice but the frame to go 10-6 was more important. I knew when I sat down and the crowd were buzzing… I kind of sat down and thought, ‘No, I need to sit down and tell myself this frame is so important’. The difference overnight from 10-6 and 9-7 is humungous. In the end, I really needed that extra frame.”
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