Judd Trump Questions World Snooker Championship Favorites
World number one Judd Trump has openly disagreed with the notion of a "massive favourite" at the World Snooker Championship, despite defending champion Zhao Xintong starting the tournament with very short odds from bookmakers. Trump's comments come after his own 10-5 first-round victory over Gary Wilson, as he challenges the prevailing narrative around tournament predictions.
Zhao Xintong's Impressive Form
Defending world champion Zhao Xintong has been in spectacular form, winning the World Grand Prix, Players Championship, and Tour Championship since February began. Having proven his Crucible capabilities last year, Zhao has received widespread backing to retain his title, beginning his defense with a solid 10-7 win against Liam Highfield on Saturday.
Trump acknowledges Zhao's capabilities but disputes the favorite status: "I don't agree when people say there's massive favourites," stated Trump. "You don't know how you're going to play until you get out there in the World Championship."
Recent History of Surprise Winners
The snooker star pointed to the last three champions—Zhao Xintong, Kyren Wilson, and Luca Brecel—all of whom won at long odds with bookmakers. "As we've seen in the past three years, it's kind of three surprises, really," Trump explained. "So you don't really know what's going to happen."
Trump identified four or five players currently in contention who are performing well, but emphasized the tournament's inherent unpredictability. He specifically mentioned Ding Junhui, who was quoted at 50/1 before the event but looked exceptionally sharp in his first-round victory over Dave Gilbert. "There's obviously favourites, but this year, Ding had a lot of time off and he looked very sharp in his first game," Trump noted.
Crucible Theatre's Unique Pressure
Trump also expressed satisfaction with the announcement that the World Championship will remain at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre until at least 2045. The 36-year-old believes the venue creates a pressurized environment unmatched by any other location, which separates elite players from the rest.
"I think it's good and I'm glad that they also know that they do need to improve it a little bit at the same time," Trump told the BBC. "There's so much history and the pressure cannot be replicated in any other venue. I think it sorts the top, top players out from the rest. If you moved it elsewhere you'd get more shock results."
Trump reflected on past debates about potentially relocating the tournament, concluding: "There are times in the past where I'm thinking, should it move? Is it good enough? But now I've got to the point where I'm happy it's staying."
Looking Ahead
Trump will face either Si Jiahui or Hossein Vafaei in the second round as the championship progresses. His comments highlight broader discussions about tournament favorites, venue significance, and the unpredictable nature of elite snooker competition at the highest level.
