Judd Trump beats Marco Fu to land Snooker’s Players Championship title

Judd Trump clinched the Ladbrokes Players Championship title by defeating Marco Fu 10-8 in Llandudno

The significance of Trump’s victory is underlined by the fact that it’s only his second ranking title on British soil, after the 2011 UK Championship. The £125,000 top prize is also his joint highest career payday – alongside his 2012 International Championship victory and 2011 World Championship runner-up prize. The triumph elevates Trump above Stuart Bingham to second in the world rankings.

It was the seventh ranking title of Trump’s career and his second this season – he had won the European Masters in October. In the past months, Trump was disappointed to have lost the finals at the Welsh and Gibraltar Opens.

Fu dominated much of the afternoon session, but after leading 5-2, he saw Trump getting close at 5-4.

Then, in the evening session, Trump carried that momentum forward started at a blistering pace, winning four frames in a row, to lead 8-5.

Then Fu fought back to win two frames to make it 8-7, the 15th one in dramatic fashion.

Fu was struggling to find the form he displayed earlier in the tournament, but the pendulum swung again as the world number nine edged back into the match. He moved within two at 8-6, before a dramatic 15th frame. Trump looked set to go one from victory, before an unexpected miss on the final pink allowed Fu to clinch the frame and make it 8-7.

Trump then made it 9-7 and Fu responded by claiming the 17th frame to remain in the hunt.

However, Trump made contributions of 49 and 53 in the 18th frame to secure the title 10-8.

Trump reflected: “It’s a great feeling, especially in this competition. It’s the 16 best players of the season. To win this one is probably up there with the UK Championship. This tournament has a lot of prestige and I’m delighted to have won.”