Judd Trump became only the second player in history to make 100 centuries in a single season during his first round World Championship win over Tom Ford on Friday, but the superb achievement is not at the forefront of his mind.
The defending champion kept his hopes alive of retaining the title with a 10-8 victory over Ford, which was a struggle at times on the tournament’s opening day.
The world number one found himself 3-0 down in no time at all and at 5-2 behind there was serious cause for concern.
However, Trump battled back, with breaks of 104 and 131 along the way to book his place in the second round where he will face Yan Bingtao or Elliott Slessor.
Those two huge breaks took his century tally to 100 for the season, becoming only the second player to achieve the feat after Neil Robertson in 2013/14.
Pleased to get to the century of centuries, and within touching distance of Robertson’s record of 103, Trump is happy to rack up records, but it is not something he is too fussed about, with his eyes firmly on the prize of lifting the World Championship trophy.
‘Yeah, I’m pleased I got there, it’s nice to be in such an exclusive club,’ Trump said. ‘It was never a massive aim of mine, it just came from doing well in other events.
‘I think it was a bit more special for Neil being the first person and he’s someone who looks at records a bit more than me.
‘He’s a great break-builder, it’s nice to be alongside him. Hopefully I can do well in the tournament and I should get there [the record] comfortably.
‘If not, I’m just happy to have got to the hundred.’
Trump’s win over Ford was played in front of a reduced crowd at the Crucible, which will not be reduced to nothing after the Government’s announcement on Friday.
The 30-year-old felt it was a strange experience and one that will get all the stranger with no fans in the Crucible, but was glad to have had the opportunity to at least entertain a handful of spectators.
“I’d love to say it felt the same as last year but it wasn’t quite,’ he told Eurosport. ‘The eery nature around Sheffield is strange, I walk around from the hotel to the venue and there is normally such a buzz around the city.
‘There’s something normally very special around it, it was just a bit quieter, you can just feel that something is not quite right.
‘I had my family in the crowd and a few friends, I was able to get them in on the first day, and I loved experiencing it with the crowd that could make it there.’
It was far from vintage Trump on Friday, but he is unconcerned as he knows the World Championship is a long 17 days and it is not about peaking on day one, it is just about winning.
The Juddernaut stumbled over the line in the first round last year against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and went on to claim the world title. He plans to do something very similar this year, and break the infamous Crucible Curse in doing so.
‘If I lose it’s nothing to do with the curse, it’s just not good enough,’ said the champion.
‘The last few tournaments I haven’t been good enough, today I wasn’t good enough again but I managed to scrape through.
‘If I’m going to go deep into the tournament then I’m going to have to up my standard.
‘Last year I managed to do that, obviously you don’t want to be peaking in the first round.
‘Hopefully I can find some form, find my feet and keep improving as the tournament goes on.’
Trump will be back in action on 6-7 August against Yan or Slessor.
Live snooker returns to Eurosport and the Eurosport app. Watch the World Championship from 31st July – 16th August with analysis from Jimmy White.
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