‘Maybe it’s good I’m ill’

ByEurosport

Updated 01/12/2023 at 23:47 GMT

Judd Trump is through to a fourth UK Championship semi-final after a 6-3 win over Mark Selby in the semi-finals. Even though the world No. 2 won the match in a relatively swift fashion with a high-quality performance against Selby, he admitted to Eurosport afterwards that he was “in a bit of a mad mood” throughout the match as he was feeling under the weather. Trump will play Ding Junhui next.

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Trump recorded his 1,000th career win and it came against ‘The Jester from Leicester’ on Friday evening to book his place in the semi-finals for only the fourth time in his decorated career where he will face Ding Junhui.

‘The Juddernaut’ held a commanding 5-1 lead before Selby pulled two frames and looked set to mount a comeback, but the four-time world champion could not stop Trump from sealing the win at the Barbican in York.

Speaking to Eurosport after the match, Trump said he felt frustrated throughout the contest which was mostly due to him feeling under the weather.

“It’s obviously a good win,” he said in the Eurosport studio.

“I don’t feel great in this moment in time, I’m just happy to get over the line. I’m still struggling [with illness].

“I’m in a bit of a bad mood really, I was going through the motions a little bit, just trying to do what I could. I was hoping Mark would miss a little bit to give me a chance.

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“Obviously you take a bit of pride that he wouldn’t normally play like that so it’s maybe it’s something to do with me adding a bit of pressure, but Mark didn’t really turn up the first couple of frames and I was just trying to pick up the pieces.

“It was me and the table as well. The table was rolling off everywhere. I played the red like it’s no way I hit it that hard. At this level that could have been the difference between losing and winning. That’s how good he started to play. I didn’t do anything wrong in the two frames I lost.

“He made a double and a long pot and I was just sat there thinking ‘oh god’. He can reel off five frames that quickly so when you do get a chance you want to take it.”

Trump admitted that he found it hard to be pleased with the victory in the immediate aftermath, and says he just has to “accept” that he will have to play through illness if he is to win the tournament for the first time since 2011.

“It’s hard to reflect because normally I’d be happy and be buzzing,” he said.

“But I just don’t feel that great so when you get to a stage like this, you want to be fully fit and give it everything and in this moment in time I’m not able to do that.

“It’s just about trying to grind it out, you are not going to feel perfect every tournament of your life, there is going to be troubles but it’s just about how you deal with that.

“Since Wednesday or Thursday before the tournament started [I’ve felt ill]. It’s not ideal but I’ve got to accept it. It’s not going to go away now.

“I’ve got to the semi-finals and I just have to give it every ounce of energy I’ve possibly got out there.

“I’m fortunate to be in the semi-final of this event, I don’t normally do well here so it’s maybe it’s good I’m ill. If I was fully fit I might have lost I don’t know.”

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