Trump leads all-star snooker cast heading to Shropshire
Snooker’s biggest names head for Telford this month for the Sportbet.io Players Championship, and world number one Judd Trump has come into form just at the right time.
Ad Feature by World Snooker Ltd
The prestigious world ranking event runs from February 17 to 22 at the Telford International Centre and tickets are still available from just £28, for all details see www.wst.tv/tickets
The tournament has an elite field with only the best 16 players of the season so far earning a place in the draw. All-time greats in the line up will include Trump, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, Mark Allen and new Chinese sensation Wu Yize.
Trump came agonisingly close to the title last year, losing 10-9 to Kyren Wilson in a dramatic final. While he may not admit it, this time his hopes may be boosted by the fact that Wilson is not in the field, as Trump was beaten in three finals last season by his fellow Englishman.
In fact the whole of 2025 proved a barren year for Trump as he failed to add to his vast collection of silverware. It was his first calendar year without a trophy since 2013. However the left-hander, renowned for his fast, attacking style and his crowd-pleasing shot making, proved he is back to his best with victory at the German Masters in Berlin this month.
Trump lost just 11 frames in six matches during the tournament, culminating in a 10-4 final victory over Shaun Murphy.
He said: "The time without winning tournaments wasn't difficult. It was just about being in the right mental state to win when the next chance came around. It was important not to get too down on myself and take the positives that I was putting myself in position to win.
“It has been a very good three or four months really in terms of consistency. Now I need to turn it up a notch. I hope that will give me the confidence to pick up some more big titles."
Earlier in the season, Trump made a seismic change in his equipment as he swapped to a new cue and used a titanium ferrule, rather than the traditional brass which he had used for most of his career. The experiment only lasted a few months, and in November he went back to a previous cue with a brass ferrule.
From that point his form was on an upward curve and he reached the final of the UK Championship in December, narrowly losing 10-8 to Mark Selby. But now Bristol-born Trump has gone a step further and added to his trophy collection.
He has now won 31 ranking events in total and he's fourth in the all-time list. Only John Higgins (33), Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O'Sullivan (41) have won more in the history of snooker.
But Trump will face tough competition in Telford from rivals including Selby, who also looks close to the form which has won him four World Championship titles.
Make sure you’re in Telford to see the giants of the baize going head to head! If you can’t make it to the venue, you can watch the action live and free on Channel 5.
Click here for tickets - www.wst.tv/tickets
