World Snooker Championship - Judd Trump 'quietly confident', Neil Robertson 'taking the headlines'
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Updated 26/04/2021 at 16:15 GMT
World number one Judd Trump is winning without playing at his very best and remains "quietly confident", along with other contenders at the 2021 World Snooker Championship. Neil Robertson has been "taking the headlines", noted Trump, but he believes there are a number of players who fancy their chances at the Crucible this year.
'Everyone quietly confident' - Trump 'happy to be in the mix'
Judd Trump has said he is "quietly confident" and winning without playing his best, after being asked who the favourite is for the 2021 World Snooker Championship.
The world number one was made to wait to book his place in the quarter-finals at the Crucible as David Gilbert battled very hard and pushed him all the way.
But the 2019 world champion eventually recorded a 13-8 win and secured his place in the last eight, despite the fact that he did not feel that he played at his best.
"I think everyone feels like the favourite," Trump told Eurosport after beating Gilbert. "I think everyone is playing well in their own way.
"Me and Kyren have not been playing our best, but hopefully just going along quietly, saving our best for the latter stages.
I think you've got Mark Selby, Mark Williams - and Neil [Robertson] is taking the headlines at the moment. But I would be surprised if he can keep that standard up for the 17 days.
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'Wasn't this exceptional?' - Trump with very powerful shot
"So I'm quite happy to have not played near my best and got through the first couple [of matches] quite comfortably.
"I think everyone is quietly confident that they've got a good chance in this one."
Speaking about his victory over Gilbert, Trump added: "He was never going to give up. He nearly made an amazing break in the last frame to get back into it.
"In the end I just sort of fell over the line and I'm happy to be in the next round, because at one point it was looking like he was playing really well.
"There wasn't a lot in it, really, and I think I just did the right things at the crucial times. It's a good win for me to get through."
The Bristolian, eyeing his second Crucible title, will next take on either 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy or Yan Bingtao in the quarter-finals in Sheffield.
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