O’Sullivan has had a remarkable season, winning four trophies including the UK Championship, the Masters, the Shanghai Masters, and this week’s event in Leicester. At 48 years old, he is closing in on the best season of his career, with 41 ranking titles and prize money close to £900,000. However, the match against Trump did not live up to expectations, with the highest break at just 74. Despite Trump’s early lead, O’Sullivan’s mental toughness allowed him to come back and win seven of the last eight frames. This victory marks O’Sullivan’s third World Grand Prix title, extending his lead at the top of the world rankings. Trump received £40,000 as the runner-up, missing out on his 27th career ranking title and fourth of the season.
“I had a bit of a shaky start, but at 5-3 I regained my confidence,” stated O’Sullivan. “Throughout the evening, I focused on staying mentally strong and composed. It was an enjoyable battle, and I feel that my experience has made me a better all-around player than ever before. Judd is a fierce competitor and I believe he is the favorite for Sheffield. However, I have three months to work on my consistency and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Reflecting on his win against Ding, O’Sullivan acknowledged that it was a great performance but didn’t want to get too excited about one game. “I sometimes wonder why I can’t play like that more often, but it’s good to know that I still have it in me. Winning always feels like an accomplishment, even if I didn’t play at my best today.”
Trump acknowledged that the standard of play wasn’t great, but gave credit to O’Sullivan for winning the important frames and having better safety play. Despite the loss, Trump expressed his enjoyment in playing against O’Sullivan and hopes to face him in more finals.
