Judd Trump on whitewashing Mark Williams at Riyadh Season Snooker Championship: ‘Never seen him play like that before’
By Tom Masters
Updated 20/11/2025 at 22:23 GMT
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Judd Trump said he has "never seen" Mark Williams play like he did as the world No. 1 eased to a 4-0 win in the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. Plagued by cue difficulties once again and a wardrobe malfunction involving his chalk, Trump was far from his best, but despite multiple chances to make him pay, Williams was well beaten after a sloppy performance in the Saudi capital.
'Never seen him play like that before' - Trump surprised by Williams performance after dominant win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Judd Trump said he has "never seen" Mark Williams play like he did as the world No. 1 triumphed 4-0 at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
Williams had multiple chances to make Trump pay for his own sloppiness but could not do so, and was punished by the 36-year-old.
Trump had to again get to grips with a new cue after changing it for a second time this season, following a 10-5 defeat to Mark Selby at the Champion of Champions event in Leicester last week, while he also struggled with his chalk during the opening frame, requiring help from the referee during a wardrobe malfunction.
As a result of those two factors, it is perhaps no surprise Trump did not feel at his excellent best and he admitted Williams’ wayward play came as a shock.
"I felt quite slow actually, I felt quite sluggish, and I was a little bit nervous, and I think the fact Mark was missing everything made me even more nervous," Trump said on TNT Sports.
"I was very surprised [at how he played], I have never seen him play like that before, so I am happy he did."
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'Slight wardrobe malfunction here' - Trump needs help from referee as chalk gets stuck in pocket
Video credit: TNT Sports
Trump came into the 2025/26 campaign off the back of a record-breaking season, but he has not yet managed a win.
He spoke of the "fine lines" in the game after reaching multiple finals but coming out on the wrong side of the result.
"Still waiting for a win but I mean there have been ups and downs in the season," Trump continued.
"But I have still been getting to finals, it is not like I have been losing [in the] first round every time, so it is fine lines in this game.
"There are going to be periods in your career where you are going to lose finals but it is just about how you deal with them and come back.
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"I try not to put pressure on myself but I want to win every single tournament. Even though I didn’t expect much, I was still nervous, I still want to win as badly as ever.
"So any tournament you come to, I think this feels a little bit different with the crowd and the set-up here is so good. As a snooker player, it is a great arena to play in and a fantastic atmosphere."
Trump's cue was a topic of debate, and he let slip that it is likely there will be further scrutiny as he continues to toy with his equipment.
He said: "It [cue] is different from last week, it is a change. I think there might be a few more changes before the end of the season.
"It took me a little bit to get warmed up, I have only played with this cue for one hour since I went home, so I managed to practice a little bit today, so I was a little bit rusty but towards the end I got my confidence."
How to watch the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship
All the action from the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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