Another fantastic week of snooker has come and gone with Judd Trump ending the week victorious at the 2024 UK Championship. One leg of snooker’s famous Triple Crown of tournaments, the tournament saw the world number one earn a nice Christmas bonus of £250,000 and capture his second UK Championship title.
With there being plenty of storylines to have emerged from the event, here are the main talking points from the week.
Trump proves class yet again and is the undisputed world number one
It's been a brilliant 2024 for Judd Trump and his win at the UK Championship has all but assured that heading into the Masters in January and next year’s World Championship he is the man the rest of the field will need to beat.
There are no doubts about it that in order to win his second UK Championship title Trump certainly had to do things the hard way. Handed arguably the toughest opening round opponent he could have drawn in the shape of Neil Robertson, Trump was staring at the prospect of an early exit at 3-1 down, but he showed all of his class as he won five successive frames to beat the Australian 6-3.
Next was a contest against John Higgins and the four time World Champion and three time UK Championship winner certainly brought his A game into the contest against Trump. In a contest that ebbed and flowed it was Trump who was able to hold his nerve in a final frame shootout and advance to the quarterfinals.
After that thrilling victory he proved a class apart over world number 10, Anda Zhang dismissing the Chinese star 6-2 and setting up an enticing encounter against world number two, Kyren Wilson in the semifinals.
Wilson, who has recently shown that his World Championship win was no fluke with a win at the 2024 Northern Irish Open, was looking for his second successive victory over the world number one having beaten Trump en route to his victory in Belfast but it was clear that Trump was out for revenge.
Despite losing the first two frames, Trump was able to keep his composure and simply blew Wilson away. Tying up the contest at 2-2, he then played his best snooker of the week winning the next four frames to complete a 6-2 route and book his place in the final.
Awaiting him in the fina was Barry Hawkins. Few would have picked Hawkins to have enjoyed such a strong run, but after qualifying and beating eight time UK Championship winner Ronnie O’Sullivan in the opening round, Hawkins was playing his best snooker in years and showed that he wouldn’t be a pushover.
In a final that ebbed and flowed, Trump was able to keep his nose in front and stood on the brink of victory at 9-6, as he has shown all week Hawkins wouldn’t quit and made it nervy, winning two frames in quick succession to take the match to 9-8.
With the final in the balance, Trump was able to keep his composure and took a tense final frame to wrap up the victory and ensure that the UK Championship would be his.
His win has taken Trump further clear at the front of the world rankings and he will head to the Scottish Open later this month as the man everyone else will need to beat.
Poor tables takes shine off the tournament
The UK Championship has always been one of the most eagerly awaited tournaments in the world. One of the biggest and most prestigious titles of the entire snooker season, there was huge disappointment for the players, fans and organisers with complaints over the table quality.
With the cushions being labelled as bouncy as heavy, there were also complaints that the table would see the balls drift to the right. Under fire throughout, the World Snooker Tour and their table fitters worked through the night to try and correct conditions but despite their best efforts the table criticism went on throughout the week and there were clamours that a repeat in the future can’t be tolerated, with Kyren Wilson even stating that new fitters should be brought in for future events.
The UK Championship is one of just a few events where snooker takes centre stage, always on the lookout for new sponsors and bigger audiences, events like the UK Championship always need to be showing the sport in the very best possible manner and it was a shame that the tables didn’t live up to scratch this time around.
Questions for O’Sullivan to answer ahead of 2025
By his ridiculously high standards, 2024 has been a tough one for Ronnie O’Sullivan. Knocked out at the quarter final stage of the World Championship by Stuart Bingham, since then the Rocket has been knocked out early of the English Open, Northern Irish Open, International Championship and Champions of Champions.
Looking to get his season back on track at a tournament he has won eight times previously, his run of poor form would continue when he lost to eventual finalist Barry Hawkins in the opening round.
With his motivations having been questioned in the past, once again O’Sullivan’s drive has been firmly put under the microscope, however for those fearing that O’Sullivan might be looking to step away from the sport, there is no need to panic as the greatest player to have ever played the sport looks content to continue playing.
Having been drawn against fellow World Champion winner John Higgins in the opening round of the 2025 Masters, it will be fascinating to see if O’Sullivan can turn his ailing form around.
Murphy and Allen resume war of words
It’s fair to say that Shaun Murphy and Mark Allen aren’t the greatest of friends. The two have clashed repeatedly over the course of their careers and once again came to verbal blows at the UK Championship.
Allen, who was looking to win a second UK Championship, was denied in a thrilling fashion when falling 6-5 to Barry Hawkins in a match that lasted five hours.
Murphy, who was commentating on the contest on TV, was critical of how long the Northern Irishman was taking to hit his shots, accusing Allen of playing mind games in a bid to throw off his opponent.
Upon hearing about the criticism, Allen said that everyone was entitled to their views but advised that the former World Champion should keep his personal views out of the public limelight.
Work both men showing that they aren’t shy in coming forward, expect plenty more fireworks when the two next meet on the table.
Jonathan Ashby
Jonathan Ashby, at 35, boasts a deep well of knowledge about the world of snooker. A specialist with a passion for the game's history, techniques, and players, he provides invaluable insights to both novices and seasoned enthusiasts. Through his articles, Jonathan aims to share the rich tapestry and nuances of this beloved cue sport.
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