What's happened
Judd Trump secured his second UK Championship title with a 10-8 victory over Barry Hawkins, marking his fifth Triple Crown title overall. The win, his first UK crown since 2011, solidifies Trump's status as the world number one and adds to his impressive tally of 30 ranking titles.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Trump's victory was marked by a tense final against Hawkins, who fought back from 9-6 to 9-8 before ultimately falling short. Trump expressed relief at securing the title, stating, "I wasn’t enjoying myself in my seat at 9-8. I was thinking this could be the worst loss of all time". The Guardian echoed this sentiment, noting Hawkins' commendable performance despite the loss, emphasizing that he had beaten top players to reach the final. BBC News highlighted Trump's achievement as significant, placing him fourth on the all-time list for ranking titles, behind only legends like Ronnie O'Sullivan.
How we got here
Trump's victory at the UK Championship follows a series of strong performances this season, including wins at the Saudi Arabia Masters and Shanghai Masters. This championship marks his return to form in a tournament he last won in 2011.
More on these topics
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The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican Centre, York.
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Judd Trump is an English professional snooker player from Bristol. Currently ranked world number one, he has won a career total of 17 ranking titles, putting him in joint seventh place on the all-time list.
Trump turned professional in 2005, aged 16.
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Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player from Ditton, Kent. He turned professional in 1996, but only rose to prominence in the 2004–05 snooker season, when he reached the last 16 of the 2004 UK Championship, the quarter-finals of the 2004
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Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan O'naim OBE is an English professional snooker player who is the current world champion. He is widely considered to be the greatest player in the history of the sport.
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York is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in North Yorkshire, England. The population of the council area which includes nearby villages was 198,051 as of 2011 census. The population of the urban area was 153,717 at the 2011 census.
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Mark Allen may refer to:
Mark Allen (businessman) (born 1950), former British spy turned businessman and lecturer
Mark Allen (triathlete) (born 1958), American world champion triathlete
Bull Allen (rugby union) (Mark Richard Allen, born 1967), New Zealan
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York Barbican is an indoor entertainment venue located in York, England. Named after the nearby barbican attached to Walmgate Bar, the venue hosts a busy calendar of live music, comedy and sports, as well as business events and conferences.