Snooker news coronavirus - Judd Trump admits season could be over before he defends world title

Updated 18/03/2020 at 13:58 GMT

Judd Trump is facing up to the prospect that the Gibraltar Open could be the last event of the season due to the rapidly escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Judd Trump (Players Championship)

Image credit: Getty Images

The world champion and world number one chose his words carefully speaking to World Snooker Tour during the Gibraltar Open, but did not strike an optimistic tone.

The elite eight-man Tour Championship – where Trump starts as favourite at the top of the one-year ranking list - is due to begin in Llandudno on Tuesday with the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre pencilled in for April 18-May 4.

Gibraltar Open

Trump raises the Gibraltar Open trophy to an imaginary crowd

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13/04/2020 at 13:03

But with Premier League and Scottish Premiership football cancelled and Six Nations rugby postponed this weekend, the health crisis could deny Trump the chance to defend his title next month.

“It’s always a nice place to come,” said Trump, who went on to overcome Kyren Wilson 4-3 in a high-quality Gibraltar Open final on Sunday evening. “It’s obviously difficult circumstances at the moment.

Everyone is in the same position, and everybody is trying to grab a win before who knows what will happen.

Trump is in the dark about whether or not the final two ranking events will go ahead with World Snooker Tour admitting they will listen to government advice and “consider all scenarios” in a bid to ensure players, officials and fans are not put at risk.

The China Open in Beijing was due to be played later this month, but has already been cancelled due to the outbreak.

Watch the moment Trump wins Gibraltar Open to make snooker history

The Gibraltar Open was initially due to be played in front of 100 fans, but became a closed doors event on Saturday with neighbours Spain heading for lockdown after declaring a state of national emergency with the death toll at 191 and thousands battling the illness.

Trump has moved onto 97 centuries for the season with seven tons in Gibraltar, but admits beating Neil Robertson’s record tally of 103 centuries from 2013/14 could be beyond him.

It’s going to be difficult. I obviously don’t how many matches I’ve got left or tournaments I’ve got left. It might be out of my hands already.

Trump victory in Sunday evening's final means he becomes the first player in history to win six ranking events. And in doing so he earned a £150,000 bonus as well as the £50,000 first prize for claiming the trophy.

Trump raises the Gibraltar Open trophy to an imaginary crowd

The Gibraltar Open courted attention for its decision to defy the coronavirus outbreak that has wiped out most of the sporting calendar. Seven referees were unable to get to the tournament after their flights were cancelled, leading to bizarre scenes on some tables as players re-spotted the balls in their own matches.

Robertson and several leading players including Ali Carter, David Gilbert, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott and Jimmy White body swerved the event amid the outbreak.