World number one Judd Trump suffered a stunning 6-5 defeat to John Higgins in the Masters semi-final at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, subsequently revealing he has not won a single match this season that has gone to a deciding frame. The 36-year-old's admission exposes a significant pressure problem threatening his dominance in snooker's elite tournaments.
Trump squandered a golden opportunity to seal victory, leading 5-3 before missing what appeared to be a routine brown ball. The error opened the door for 50-year-old Higgins to stage a remarkable comeback and secure his place in Sunday's final against Kyren Wilson.
The world number one's struggles in tight matches have become a pattern throughout the season. Mark Selby, Gary Wilson, Elliot Slessor, Shaun Murphy, Matthew Stevens, Jack Lisowski and world champion Zhao Xintong have all beaten Trump in deciders this campaign.
Trump told the BBC: «I just need to improve under pressure a little bit more and then I'll be able to turn these games around, because that's a lot of deciding frame losses this season. I put myself in a good position but John is a great player and it's a good game.»
He acknowledged missing crucial shots when the match was within his grasp. «The brown at 5-3 was awkward, I felt if I screwed back I could go in-off, and I took my eye off it. In the last frame I had a chance but again it was awkward,» Trump explained.
Mental Battle
The psychological dimension of Trump's struggles became clear through his own words. «At the moment, any time there's a bit of danger my body wants to shut down,» he admitted. The champion described feeling «a bit edgy» and lacking «belief», adding: «I've just been a little bit hesitant and looking for trouble a little bit.»
Trump made similar admissions after losing the UK Championship final to Mark Selby, where he last won a tournament. He emphasized that overcoming the issue requires «winning close games» rather than simply capturing titles.
Higgins Amazed
Higgins expressed disbelief at his opponent's crucial miss. «I can't believe he missed,» the Wizard of Wishaw said. «Judd just doesn't do that when he's clutch and when he's got to do it under pressure. He just doesn't miss like that.»
The 50-year-old was poor early on, falling 3-0 behind before Trump wobbled. «Judd was in total control of the game at 3-0, I was all at sea and I was devastated because nothing was happening for me,» Higgins recalled.
He described the victory as «one of my biggest ever wins because Judd is such a great champion and he had won so many matches against me in the last few years.» Higgins had already survived one decider in the tournament, beating Zhao Xintong 6-5 in the quarter-finals.
Wilson Awaits
Kyren Wilson reached his second consecutive Masters final by defeating debutant Wu Yize 6-5 in Saturday evening's other semi-final. The 2024 world champion has navigated significant personal challenges this season, including his wife Sophie's health battle requiring surgery and his son Bailey's illness and school accident.
Wilson struggled early in the season after a freak accident damaged his World Championship-winning cue, losing 6-4 to Elliot Slessor in the first round of the UK Championship in November. At that time he admitted: «I'm just very lost at the minute. You were very close to seeing someone have a mental breakdown out there.»
But his game has looked in good order this week with a new cue. The final against Higgins takes place on Sunday in two sessions at 1pm and 7pm.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
