'Legend of the game' – Judd Trump's comments about Mark Williams say it all
'Legend of the game' – Judd Trump's comments about Mark Williams say it all
Crucible king Judd Trump will face Mark 'The Welsh Potting Machine' Williams in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Snooker Championship - and he has revealed precisely what he thinks of his foe
Mark Williams has been lauded as a "legend" ahead of his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Judd Trump
(Image: George Wood, Getty Images )
Snooker sensation Judd Trump has generously applauded Mark Williams in the build-up to their much-anticipated semi-final clash at the 2025 World Snooker Championship. The pair are set for a monumental encounter, which gets underway on Thursday evening.
Trump advanced to the last four following a striking comeback against Luca Brecel, where he came from behind to take the last six frames and win 13-8. Yet he now comes up against a three-time world champion in Williams, who showcased his resilience by narrowly defeating John Higgins in the quarter-finals.
'The Welsh Potting Machine' triumphed over fellow icon Higgins in an agonisingly close battle. And with it came his first semi-final appearance since 2022 - when it was Trump who ended his journey.
When asked about their imminent duel after his win against Brecel, 35-year-old Trump was full of reverence for Cwm-born Williams. And the tournament favourite was only too aware of their shared history in Sheffield when speaking to BBC Sport (via the Daily Express).
"[The] last time I was in the semi-final, I think I played him," said 'The Ace in the Pack'. "It was an epic then, he obviously had an epic against John Higgins - it's such a slog, this tournament.
"Still a long way to go, but Mark is a legend of the game. I think whoever won out of John and Mark, I was gonna be happy to play if I got through. . .turns out it's Mark, and it's going to be a great game."
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Trump boasts a dominant 23-11 win-loss record against Williams
(Image: Getty )
It's not the first time Trump has praised his Welsh rival, who has won only 11 of their 34 matchups to date. One such memorable clash occurred in the final of last summer's inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where Trump narrowly secured a 10-9 win.
Despite showing formidable skill with three century breaks, 50-year-old Williams had to be content with the £200,000 runner-up cheque. Yet Trump was commendably gracious after the match and still showered praise on the Gwent native.
"It just shows what a champion he is, what a break he's made in the last frame there," he told TNT Sports, candidly confessing he "didn't deserve to win" the £500,000 grand prize. "Half a million quid, 62 behind, two reds there. Congratulations to him."
Regardless of how the semis pan out, Trump is set to bag at least £200,000 from the World Championship. Half of that is for making it to the final four, and an additional £100,000 for a season tally of 100 century breaks, nine of which have been achieved in Sheffield alone.
Williams' 13-12 semi-final triumph over John Higgins will go down in the Crucible history books
(Image: Getty )
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Williams returned the compliment with his own glowing appraisal of Trump ahead of their Crucible clash: "All he's missing on his CV probably is another World Championship and if he gets another one of them, he has to be one of the greatest of all time."
He went on to clarify he hopes this isn't the year that materialises before highlighting the magnitude of his century of centuries: "Oh yeah, not this year! There's no other player who had a sniff of winning that bonus £100,000. Only him because he's relentless."
Despite that comment, Williams will hope to repay the favour from 2022 and cease Trump's rolling form this week. However, he'll have to beat the form player on the planet in order to do so.
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