Judd Trump wins 2019 World Snooker Championship

Judd Trump has won the 2019 World Snooker Championship, beating John Higgins 18-9 in the final.

For Trump, this was a destiny long in the making – he has long been touted as a future world champion due to his innate talent for the sport, and he has finally achieved the ultimate title in snooker. For Higgins, this was the third final in as many years, and yet another missed opportunity to become a five-time world champion.

Trump advanced to the semi-final with a 17-11 win over Gary Wilson, while Higgins beat David Gilbert 17-16, making a tournament-high break of 143 in the process.

It was a top-quality final, but one in which Trump eventually took the upper hand. He got off to a fast start, with breaks of 51 and 63 helping him secure a 2-0 lead. Higgins produced a fantastic 139 to put his first frame on the board, and Trump responded with a century of his own – a 105 to make it 3-1. Higgins came back fighting after the interval, racking up 244 points with a response by Trump (including a break of 101), before Trump responded with the fourth century of the session, a break of 103, to level at 4-4.

Higgins took the lead once again in the evening, with another century – this time, a 125. But from then on, it was all Trump. He levelled in the tenth frame, and then made a 135 to go 6-5 in front. Trump stole the twelfth after Higgins missed a pink and yellow, and then a century of 114 extended Trump’s lead. It only grew – he made further breaks of 71, 58 and 70 to secure the last four frames and end the day with a 12-5 lead.

The four-time world champion needed to respond, and he attempted in style by trying for a 147 – he potted all 15 reds, and then missed a simple final black. Still, he took the frame, and then capitalised on an unexpected Trump error to reduce the deficit to 12-7. Trump made a 101, and then a 71 to move 14-7 in front at the interval. The duo shared the final four frames of the session – Trump made a 126, and a 104 after missing his own attempt at a maximum.

Trump took a 16-9 into the final session, needing just two frames for the title, while Higgins hoped for a miracle. It didn’t come – Trump seized his chances in the first two frames of the final session, and Higgins could do nothing but sit in his chair as his opponent compiled more excellent breaks. It was a 94 and a 62 that finally ended the match.

He was just unstoppable

– John Higgins

There were 100 century breaks in the tournament, the highest ever at any official snooker event. The final included 11 of those, setting a new record for the most centuries ever in the final of a ranking event.

After the match, Trump said: “It is incredible achievement for me from where I was. I have worked so hard for this. For the people around me this is so special. It was an amazing final, the standard was so high from the very first ball.

“That is probably the best I have ever played in a major final.”

“The concentration that hasn’t been there in the past was there. From a young age, people have been touting me as a future world champion and it’s nice to get that out of the way.

“It will be hard to top that, if I ever can. It is going to take a while for that to sink in, I think.”

Higgins praised his opponent: “I was the lucky one as I didn’t have to pay for a ticket, he was just awesome. I was lucky to get nine frames. I’ve just said to him, ‘that’s the first of many’, producing a standard like that. It was incredible.

“There’s not one shot he can’t play. It was just sustained brilliance and he’s got such confidence about him now.

“He was just unstoppable. He really was. He just blew me away – pure and simple. It was unbelievable to watch.”