Snooker / Ralph Ellis / 27 August 2009 / Leave a comment

Judd Trump is the new face when snooker's Premier League starts again next week, but when Betfair went to meet the boy dubbed 'Haircut 100' we weren't sure if we were doing an interview with a snooker player or a boy band singer. Then we watched him clear the balls from a practice table in two and a half minutes and we knew!

"I've still got to learn how to win and make sure I get myself over the line. There's times I've wanted to do it all stylish, and you just have to get there and get the job done."

Hi Judd - first of all happy birthday for last week. Twenty, then, means you're not a teenage sensation any more?

No, I'm starting to get a bit older now!

What difference is that going to make?

I think it's about time I started moving up now, getting to the latter stages of tournaments and trying to prove my ability

So what have you got to do to acheive that?

Well the Premier League's a good start, I'll get good experience in this and I hope to get a few good wins under my belt as well. It means getting to play against all the top players, the likes of Ronnie, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry. I hope to take some different things from it

First match next week against Neil Robertson. You going to be nervous?

I think so. People who say they don't get nervous are lying, but for me being nervous is a good thing, you can use it to your advantage and it helps you concentrate, I think

What's going to be different about playing in the PartyPoker.com Premier League?

I don't know, it's the 25 second shot clock, isn't it? It will be a bit different but I don't think it should be a problem. I'm a little bit faster than most, so it shouldn't' really make a difference. Maybe the first couple of frames while I get the hang of it.

If anything people say you're too quick normally, is that fair?

Yeah probably, although I don't think I'm that bad nowadays, I've slowed down a bit.

Didn't look like it while we were waiting to talk to you!

Ah well, that's one of the ways I make sure I'm concentrating when I practice. I do five or six hours a day, and when you are working on your own that isn't always easy. I put myself in different situations as if I am in a match. I set it up and imagine I'm playing somebody and need all the balls to win. I was just in the middle of a Premier League game then, actually! I'll make a break, and if I need to play safe I'll do it, and then I'll start again as if somebody had just played that safety shot against me.

You talk about concentrating but we couldn't help notice you're wearing iPod earphones?

Yeah, if you are playing all day without anybody else around it's quite hard, so now and again a bit of music helps. It doesn't affect me, it's just nice to listen to something. If anything it helps me concentrate.

Okay, so what's on the iPod?

It's mainly R and B music, a bit of hip hop. Probably Lloyd is my favourite at the moment

Very laid back! Tell us about how you started playing snooker.

I started off playing pool when I was about five years old, and then one day my dad was playing snooker and I just gave it a go. I felt at ease with it and just sort of carried on from there. I'm lucky, I guess, it all sort of came quite naturally to me. I don't know where it comes from, there's no sporting background in my family. My dad's a lorry driver

So given it's a talent, how do you tame that and make it a profession?

That's where the practice comes in! It's quite easy to get a bit lazy and think you've got it made, but I've realised that if I need to get better I have to work at it for five or six hours a day. I don't think some people realise how much goes into it. It's difficult.

Of course you've beaten Ronnie O'Sullivan before, in Glasgow last year. Is that your best ever?

He's probably the biggest name I've beaten. It was a good one for getting myself recognised a bit. But I actually played better when I beat Mark Williams last year in qualifying for the Bahrain Open. It's good when you play well against somebody else who is on the top of their game, so while Ronnie's the biggest name I've beaten, that would be the best performance. It's good that I'm getting a bit more recognised nowadays, but I think I've still got to prove myself to really show what I'm capable of.

Talking of being recognised, who cuts the hair?

It's actually just somebody across the road from here (we're talking in the Keynsham snooker club). And it hasn't been done for a while so I'd better get over there again before I'm on telly next week! The fringe will be in my eyes otherwise!

If you haven't been spending your first few big prize cheques on posh hairdressers, where has it gone?

Nowhere, to be honest. I've just saved most of it and it would be nice to get some cheques that are even bigger to add a bit more. At the moment I'm just sort of tucking it away, keeping it for a couple of years. I might try and get myself a really nice car or something then, but right now I'm not much of a spender. I've just got my mind around getting my career right. I need to start doing well consistently for the next couple of seasons.

So what's the aim by the end of this season?

I want to be at least in the top 16, really. I'm provisionally 24th now so that's realistic.

What about the World Championships. You qualified as a 17-year-old but haven't been back to The Crucible since...

Yeah, it was nice to get there so young, but the last couple of seasons I've missed by one frame both times, so getting back there is a key aim for the new season. I think I've still got to learn how to win, making sure I get myself over the line. I think there's times I've wanted to do it all stylish, and you just have to get there and get the job done.

Is that your quickfire temperament again?

I don't think I'm like that, I'm fairly laid back. I think I just try to impress too much. If you watch Higgins at his best he might not be playing well but he finds a way to get the job done, the same with Steve Davis. I need to take a bit of that in. I've got to be careful not to lose the bit of flair, I enjoy playing fast, but at times I need to just make sure I win

We hope you do and thanks for your time. We've a free £50 bet for a favourite charity...

My dad's a lorry driver, so I'll do something for the Great Western Air Ambulance that do such terrific work for everybody on the roads. Dad's always driven me around and he still does, even though I can drive now. It's nice to have him there with me all the time. As for the bet, I'm a Manchester United fan so I'll back them to beat Arsenal on Saturday at [2.26]. Odds against for United to win at home has to be worth taking.

Tags: Judd Trump, Premier League Snooker Betting, Ralph Ellis, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Snooker Betting, THe Betfair Big interview