Gibraltar Open snooker 2021 – Judd Trump: 'You’ve got to show you don’t really care'

Updated 07/03/2021 at 22:38 GMT

Trump won his fifth ranking title after a 4-0 win over Jack Lisowski in the Gibraltar Open final and says caring less and having fun were behind his run to the final. “The way me and Jack play, you’ve got to enjoy it. You’ve got to just go out there and show you don’t really care, you’re just having fun. And that’s the way to play if you want to get to finals.”

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Judd Trump admits a mentality shift helped him bounce back from recent disappointments and secure his fifth title of the season at the Gibraltar Open.

The world number one lost just three frames in seven matches, including a whitewash over Jack Lisowski in the final, as he swept to the title.

Trump arrived at the tournament after suffering early exits at the Players Championship and Welsh Open.

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“It’s important nowadays to not let it drag on too much. And two events is too much for me. I knew I had to do something about it,” he said.

“I went away, worked hard. I just tried changing one or two things and tried to get the enjoyment back.

“I was getting a bit too down on myself the last couple of events when I didn’t play my best.

“The way me and Jack play, you’ve got to enjoy it. You’ve got to just go out there and show you don’t really care, you’re just having fun. And that’s the way to play if you want to get to finals.”

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For Lisowski, it was his third defeat in a final to Trump this season following reversals at the World Grand Prix and German Masters.

However, Trump is backing his opponent to become “unstoppable” when he wins that elusive first title.

“It’s not as much Jack losing, I’m playing pretty close to the best I can play every time,” said Trump, before telling his opponent: “All you can keep doing is putting yourself in that position. I’m not going to play brilliant all the time.”

He added: “It’s tough to take at the moment but it will stand him in good stead because it will spur him on to do better every time.

“And this is kind of what I had when I was growing up. It took me a while to get through, but I’ve seen it my whole life – he deserves to be in the top two, three in the world.

“He’s that good. And when he does get that win, he’s going to be unstoppable.”