‘Make sure it’s not a spiral’ – Snooker legend Steve Davis fires warning to Judd Trump ahead of UK Championship
STEVE DAVIS has told Judd Trump he has to make sure his bad form does not spiral out of control this season.
The Juddernaut, 36, was in imperious form when he triumphed at the 2024 UK Championship – his second crown in York – and justified his world No1 status.
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Steve Davis has issued a warning to Judd TrumpCredit: Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Judd Trump has had a poor run in recent monthsCredit: VCG via Getty Images
Had you told him or anyone watching the final that night against Barry Hawkins that he would have to wait at least a year before getting his hands on more silverware, few would have believed it.
And while his position at the top of the world rankings has remained unchanged, he has not played like the best player on the planet this year, losing in three finals.
The cue has been a problem and Trump is set to change his equipment before facing Stephen Maguire on the opening day of the UK Championship on Saturday.
Davis, 68, can relate to the ups and downs of the sport, and knows that if you start to lose regularly, it can quickly descend into a major slump.
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The six-time world champion told SunSport: “You could say the same about when Mark Selby took his finger off the pulse and stopped being number one.
“It’s tough to be that relentless. It’s really hard.
“At some stage, you’re out there, breaking barriers, win, win, win. Somewhere down the line, it has got to change.
“When it does change, then there’s a new set of rules that apply.
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“So when you’re on the downward slope of form, you have got to try and make sure it’s not a spiral.
“But obviously there are more eyes on you. As a result of that, you’re under a little bit more pressure.
“If you can deflect the pressure, great. If you can’t, you have to survive the spiral, and then somehow restart the engine.
“That’s a lot easier than when you are on the up – when you’re buzzing, when you’re full of confidence.
“So now he has got to make sure he digs in and doesn’t start to doubt himself.
“That saying, form is temporary, class is permanent, well he is still a class player. Just somewhere down the line he has got to get some results.
“Hopefully a player will play badly against him, he gets a run in a tournament and the next minute, it’s business as usual.
“Sometimes when you’re on the downward spiral of form, players don’t play badly against you, they feel inspired, and your job is doubly hard.”
This is the third Triple Crown of the year – and first of the 2025-26 season – and already there have been a record 147 maximums.
Some say, without concrete evidence, that maybe the pockets have been ENLARGED but Davis has dismissed that notion.
Davis added: “I can guarantee you, they aren’t bigger. The players are getting better in my opinion at break building.
“The mystery of making a 147 is now no longer there. Olga Korbut did the first backward somersault on the beam in gymnastics.
“Everybody thought it was the most amazing thing. Now everybody does three on the trot.
“The beam has not been made wider. Everybody just takes what’s required and improves upon it.
“So a 147 now is no big deal. At one stage it was. But nobody gets under pressure when they’re close to making one. Because it’s now no big deal compared to what it used to be.”
- Watch the Snooker UK Championship live from York on BBC TV and BBC iPlayer from November 29-December 7.
