Rick trick shot fires up Trump
JUDD TRUMP blasted Ricky Walden after setting up a sizzling Crucible rematch against John Higgins.
‘The Juddernaut’ beat his fellow Englishman 13-9 in their Betfred World Championship last-16 clash after winning the final five frames.
Trump will now face four-time champion Higgins in a repeat of the
2011 final won 18-15 by the Scot. And a fired-up Trump revealed he was spurred on by Walden, who led
9-8 in frames and 46-6 in points at the time, taking on an ambitious red to the middle pocket.
World No.3 Trump pounced on the miss to clear up and did not lose again to book his quarter-final spot.
He said: “Ricky took on a crazy ball and it spurred me on. It fired me up and the game turned.
“One ball can change the match, even in a long game. It was the first time in the championship I felt alive and I made a really good clearance. That was my moment.
War
“It felt like a liberty. Maybe he thought the way I was playing I wouldn’t clear up. I didn’t think he should be playing that against me.”
Walden hit back in the war of words and said: “Judd can think what he wants – I play the shot as I see it.
“If I were to comment on every shot Judd plays, then we’d be here all day. We’ve got different games.
“I felt like that was the shot to play – I didn’t execute it very well and then Judd made a great break after that, so fair play to him.”
Trump will be gunning for revenge against Higgins after suffering heartache in Sheffield seven years ago.
He said: “It will be tough against John, I will have to play somewhere near my best. But if I play like I did at the end, I have a chance.
“The atmosphere in that 2011 final was the best I have ever seen and I will try and take inspiration from that.”
Title favourite Ding Junhui completed a 13-4 win over Scotland’s Anthony McGill and will meet Barry Hawkins in the last eight.