Judd Trump looked in the finest of form to win the World Championship before the coronavirus pandemic struck. The 2019 World champion resumed the championship on the front foot and was looking to clinch the title regardless of the long break in between, only to be stopped in his tracks by the Crucible Curse.
Kyren Wilson shoved Juddernaut aside to book a place in the last four of the World Championship. Wilson showed a stronger determination from the start and finished off with a brilliant 13-9 win.
Trump went ahead early on, leading his Kettering counterpart by a 2-1 scoreline after three frames. But along came Wilson, jetting forward and pushing for the finish line. From the moment he got ahead, Wilson didn’t relent.
This left Trump with a tough mountain to climb in the final minutes of play. Although the former world champion tried covering the gulf, Wilson had created, but it was ultimately too late from the emerging legend. Juddernaut fought back from a 10-6 deficit to reduce the lead to two frames, and it was too late to recover from the slump.
Frankly speaking, the record six ranking titles in a campaign winner failed to hit his peak throughout the championship. It remains unclear whether he was affected by the long break from the table or by the curse that has constantly battled former world champions. Trump is unlikely to cry over spilt milk and would take solace in the fact that every former first-time world championship lost upon their immediate return to the Crucible.
This includes the likes of legendary Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and John Higgins. Though most headlines would focus on Trump succumbing to the Crucible, Wilson deserves all the plaudits he can get. The latter has performed so well in this championship for some years coming that this run isn’t particularly surprising.
The world number eight will feature at the single table set-up for only the second time in his career. He’s played fewer games than his upcoming counterparts, with Kurt Maflin and Anthony McGill having gone through the qualifiers. However, if fatigue were a thing, then it’d be far from Wilson, who will be as fresh as ever to push for the win.
Written by: Roland Arum
