ZIMMER FRAME!

Judd backing Rocket to play on till he’s SIXTY

Judd Trump 7/2

Ronnie O’sullivan 9/2

Neil Robertson 5/1

Mark Selby 15/2

John Higgins 10/1 20/1 bar

WORLD No.1 Judd Trump reckons main Crucible rival Ronnie O’sullivan is still improving – and can play until he is 60.

The Rocket walks out at the iconic Sheffield theatre this morning to face debutant Mark Joyce as the defending and six-time world champion.

World No.2 O’sullivan, 45, can equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven titles with another success this year.

The Juddernaut, 31, has never been frightened of O’sullivan and has won five of their last six meetings, including four finals. And 2019 champion Trump

is the tournament favourite

TODAY’S ORDER

having won a record six ranking events last season

OF PLAY

and another five this term.

But his respect for O’sullivan is even stronger now than it was as a teenager plotting a career in the sport.

Trump said: “I have been professional for 16 years now and although you get people sat at home saying Ronnie is not as good as he used to be, I played Ronnie when I first turned professional at 18-19 and he was nowhere the standard that he is now. Players would get on top of him and he’d throw his toys out of the pram, he wasn’t anywhere near the consistent level he is now.

“The will to win he has now, never giving up, has survived the years and he knows himself much better.

“Fitness is important as you get older and he is running 40 miles a week.

“I genuinely think he could play until 60, or even older. I’d like to just be doing what he is doing at 45! I am starting to get some longevity and have been in the top eight now for 10 years.

“The next 10 years for me will define my career. Ronnie has already done what he needs to do, the same with John Higgins and Mark Williams.

“It’s about me, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson over the next five to 10 years trying to break into that category of being one of the greats of all time.” Trump’s own wizardry with a cue ball will once more get fans off their seats at the Crucible, with an allowed capacity ranging from around 325 today to the full 980 for the final.

But he reckons even if John Higgins has claims for being the best player, no one will ever replace O’sullivan as top dog in the affections of the public.

He added: “Everyone will always say Ronnie is the greatest, no matter if I beat every record he has got, just because of his style of play.

“To me, I don’t know if he is actually the best, if you swap John Higgins’ style around with Ronnie would people still say the same? Probably not.

“It’s just the manner in which he does it. For me, John and Ronnie at their very best are far ahead of anyone.

“I’d like to think that at my best I am somewhere near them.”