Judd Trump is glad Ronnie O’Sullivan is still competing right at the top of the sport and feels the Rocket won’t want to retire and let him dominate snooker.
Both Trump and O’Sullivan had brilliant seasons last time around, each winning five tournaments, although both finished the campaigns disappointed with quarter-final exits at the Crucible.
That has not slowed the Ace down, though, starting this season magnificently by winning the Shanghai Masters and beating the Rocket on his way to the title.
The two snooker powerhouses are in action this week at the Xi’an Grand Prix, both into the quarter-finals, and O’Sullivan spoke during the event about his desire to land a record eighth World Championship before he hangs up his cue for good.
‘I suppose if there is one thing I would love to do is to win another World Championship, that would be eight and I’d have every record there is in snooker to have,’ the 48-year-old said in Xi’an.
‘I’m equal with Stephen Hendry which is still a great achievement, it would be nice to have them all. Then that would be a dream story I suppose, for me, to look back at my career and say, I’ve done okay.’
Trump is pleased O’Sullivan is still aiming for the biggest prize in the sport and feels his own success might be helping to motivate him.
‘I think it’s good for me that he’s still got that fight in him,’ Trump told SportsBoom. ‘I think he’s someone that does like to be the centre of attention.
‘I think if I’m someone who’s winning these tournaments as well, he won’t want to step away and let me take all the limelight.
‘If everyone else was nicking one or two tournaments a year he could settle. But no-one’s really making the headlines.’
Trump is enjoying another fine run in a Chinese event after winning the Wuhan Open and World Open hosted there last season.
He credits spending a lot of time in Hong Kong in recent months, so he is getting more and more used to competing on that side of the world.
‘The last seven months I’ve spent in Hong Kong so I’m more used than anyone to playing these conditions and also the time zone,’ Trump told a press conference. ‘I sleep very well compared to everyone else. I think everyone else can’t sleep or is very tired.
‘I feel warmth from the fans. I feel very happy in China, very safe. The weather is much better. Everyone is very friendly, I have a lot of support here.’
Trump is back in action in the quarter-finals in Xi’an against Dave Gilbert or Mark Selby while O’Sullivan takes on Matt Selt in the last eight.
Barry Hawkins meets Daniel Wells and Kyren Wilson plays Xu Si in the rest of the quarter-final action.
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