The 34-year-old has exceeded the moniker of “boy wonder” and lived up to the hype,

defeating Si Jiahui 10-5 in the German Masters final to add a trophy to his collection.

Can Trump carry on by assuming Ronnie O’Sullivan at last?

Judd Trump wasn’t even in Berlin a year ago. He didn’t seem to be enjoying his snooker and hadn’t qualified for the German Masters.

After defeating Si Jiahui 10–5 at a crowded Tempodrom last night,

he earned the title of 27th ranked player and is returning to the UK today. Having made it to seven finals this season, this is his fourth trophy.

Players of snooker will tell you how difficult it is to win a single tournament

and how much mental and emotional work it takes to go through a week’s worth of ups and downs.

Thus, Trump is once again accomplishing something truly exceptional.

From 2018 to 2021, he earned 14 ranking crowns in three seasons.

This extraordinary talent has developed from a kid wonder to one of the key players in snooker.

Although his flashy shot-making is still very much on display, his safety game has become a far more significant part of his arsenal.

In a rather fragmented semi-final matchup with Sam Craigie on Saturday night, he made excellent use of it.

He scores accurately as well.

This season, Trump has already made 66 centuries, 28 more than the next top player.

It is quite possible that he will be the first man to score 100 centuries in a campaign more than once.

This combination of attack and defense is very effective.

Trump is a cunning player in addition to being gifted. He discerns when and which moves to make.

Although he occasionally has a loose cue ball, he is skilled at making difficult recovery pots.

He has incredible cue force and can make the white whizz around the table at strange angles.

He is a unique player in many respects,

but his true talent has been in combining all the elements of his game to create the winning combination.

Trump has obviously had to win numerous world championships in order to be considered among them;

his lone victory came at the Crucible in 2019, but aside from that, he has repeatedly checked off every box.

It is the unwavering will to win that distinguishes champions from regular players.

Steve Davis nailed it. It was Stephen Hendry.

Even if he prefers to downplay it, Ronnie O’Sullivan is right.

What distinguishes the genuinely great athletes is their ability to perform well not just occasionally

but also consistently throughout a season and throughout their career.

Trump’s disinterest in assigning a tournament’s prominence is one of his advantages.

Regardless of what other people think, he’s all in if there’s a prize to be won.

He doesn’t care what other people think; he covers his mantelpiece with silverware.

He should consider the strange jealousy that comes with being a minority to be a praise.

Those who tell him he hasn’t accomplished enough himself have nothing to be proud of.

Before attention turns to Sheffield and the World Championship in two months,

where Trump and O’Sullivan, the two players of the season, are currently scheduled to meet in the semi-finals,

there are still a few major titles to contend with in snooker, including the Players and Tour Championships and the new big money event in Riyadh.

O’Sullivan, who pulled out of the Berlin tournament, has added to the vast shadow he casts over the other elite players in the game

with his four championships this season, which include an eighth UK Championship and a Masters.

The Rocket is comparable to that movie character who just can’t die. Even at 48,

he hasn’t become weary. With every year that goes by, his reputation and aura continue to expand.

Beating him is the only way to get out of this. In the World Grand Prix final last month,

Trump was unable to do so as a 5-2 advantage turned into a 10-7 loss. It is his first loss against O’Sullivan at the Crucible.

So, if they do meet in the round of four at the start of May (which is a big “if” considering how unpredictable the biggest tournament in the game is),

Trump will have a chance to demonstrate that he can elevate his season-long form to the fore when it means most.

If nothing else, he should be feeling considerably better about his game than when he lost to Anthony McGill in the first round of last year’s snooker ultimate challenge.

A fun week of snooker came to an end with Trump’s victory in Berlin.

It was a wise decision to extend the German Masters from five to seven days,

since this would have ensured that spectators would witness more matches overall and more of the top players competing.

Si was amazing; he exceeded even his painful World Championship semifinal loss to Luca Brecel, losing 14-5.

Although some of his tactical flaws were made clear in the championship game, he still has 21 years left to develop those areas of his game, just as Trump has.

It was evident that both finalists enjoyed the atmosphere.

This event is made by the crowds. Every year it seems like they get more and more excited about snooker.

There is only sincere enjoyment in what people are witnessing, not rude behavior.

Entering the Tempodrom venue on Saturday for the semifinals was a “money can’t buy” moment for Trump, who has now made slightly over £800,000 this season.