Trump attacked for Dubai trip after positive test
JUDD TRUMP will regret his Christmas holiday to Dubai after testing positive for coronavirus and being forced to withdraw from the Masters, according to rival Kyren Wilson.
Wilson beat Gary Wilson 6- 2 in his first- round match but the tournament was dealt a massive blow on Saturday when Trump, and world No. 14 Jack Lisowski, tested positive.
Joe Perry and Gary Wilson were called up as late replacements and the world No. 5 easily disposed of his world No. 20 namesake.
Trump travelled to the Middle East over the festive period and Wilson, who beat the world No. 1 on the way to last year’s Crucible final, reckons the 20- time ranking event winner made a mistake.
Asked if he would have done the same as Trump, the 29- year- old said: “Definitely not. Especially not in current times. I wouldn’t take that risk.
“Everybody likes to do different things. He’s obviously a young lad without a family or kids, so I can understand the frustrations.
“For me, I was happily grounded at home with my kids, my wife and my mum, dad and brother. It’s just different lives. I couldn’t really comment on what he feels like he needs to do. In hindsight, he may well regret it, but we all make mistakes.
“Sometimes a little break away or holiday to get yourself away from the zone that snooker puts you in can be a good thing. It’s just what works for the individual.
“I had it in my mind, Gary’s inexperience at the Masters, and sometimes when you settle into a match here you realise the enormity of the event.
“I wanted to keep him under pressure right from the off. I felt quite settled at the interval and kicked on from there. I’m heading in the right direction.”
Trump’s absence has opened the door for Wilson, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson and Mark Selby in Milton Keynes but asked if his joy would be diluted if he won the tournament without the world No. 1 playing, Wilson added: “I don’t really care. In 20 years time, if I’ve won this title and people say ‘ Kyren Wilson Masters champion 2021’, that’s all I care about.
“I don’t care who’s in it – it really doesn’t matter to me.”
Trump was replaced by Perry for his first- round match against David Gilbert but the world No. 19 was also blown away.
Gilbert, ranked six places higher than Perry, breezed past the 2017 Masters finalist 6- 2 as five half- century breaks made it a day to forget for the event’s reserve players.