Judd Trump may be 32 with a hugely successful 17-year career behind him but he’s still very much the junior partner in the World Snooker Championship semi-final line-up.
Trump joins a field that includes three other former champions - Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan, boasting an average age of 46 between them and leaving the Bristolian as the only 30-something.
As he prepares to take on Williams at the Crucible having successfully seen off Stuart Bingham to reach the last four, Trump took to Twitter to make a jokey reference to the generational make-up of the field in Sheffield.
“I’ve ended up stuck in the middle of a world seniors championship,” the Whitchurch-raised player wrote, before adding, “Super excited for the semi finals though, still battling it out with 3 legends of the game!”
His post drew a series of laughing emojis and a retweet from his opponent Williams, with the match starting at 1pm on Thursday.
Trump holds a 18-9 record against the Welshman and has described the challenge as a “free hit” given his progress at the tournament has flown under the radar a little.
The world No4 has admitted to feeling disillusioned with the sport during his run and has indicated he will look to take an extended break, depending on when his challenge ends.
Trump won the World Championship in 2019, beating Higgins in the final with the Scot competing against O’Sullivan in the other semi-final this year.
"I’m going under the radar, no-one expects me to win so I am playing with so much freedom. I have had no pressure, just battling my hardest and I’ve got a free shot at Mark Williams,” Trump told Eurosport.
"I’ve lost a couple of quarter-finals the last two years so I’ve missed that one-table setup. It has not been easy, but I am now coming to terms with it and you have to enjoy the battle. I’d not been enjoying it, but this tournament has rekindled my love for it."
