Mark Williams pays Judd Trump ultimate compliment after Players Championship defeat - 'Up there with Ronnie O’Sullivan'
By Desmond Kane
Published 20/02/2026 at 11:52 GMT
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Judd Trump is renowned for "naughty snooker" but Mark Williams felt the undisputed world No. 1 produced a flawless performance in booking his spot in the semi-finals of the Players Championship on Thursday. Trump ran out a 6-3 winner in Telford and will next face John Higgins in the semi-finals of the elite 16-player ranking event after the Scot defeated Chris Wakelin by the same scoreline.
Trump ends wait for ranking title with German Masters triumph
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mark Williams felt Judd Trump produced a perfect display in defeating the three-time world champion 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship in Telford.
The Welshman compiled breaks of 141 and 105 on Thursday, missing only three balls in nine frames, yet ended up tumbling out against an inspired opponent, who finished with a 123 knock of his own.
Trump will next face John Higgins on Saturday after the 2021 Players Championship winner completed a 6-3 win over Chris Wakelin earlier on Thursday.
Williams, who threw in the towel in humorous scenes after his opponent fluked the final blue, feels Trump will take some stopping if he can maintain his pristine levels of form in the chase for the £150,000 first prize.
"That is as good as I've ever seen anyone play against me," said Williams, who managed to close to 4-3 from 4-1 down. "Up there with [Ronnie] O’Sullivan, Higgins, all of them. I played alright there.
"No part of my game was poor and I lost 6-3. It shows how good he is. I've never had anyone in so much trouble in my life. Then two or three shots later he had me in trouble.
"If he plays like that he can’t be beat. What can I say? What a player."
Trump failed to win a ranking event in 2025, but could claim two titles in the same month following his 10-4 final victory over Shaun Murphy at the German Masters in Berlin.
He will also seek a measure of revenge against Higgins, who won an epic battle 6-5 in the last four of the Masters at Alexandra Palace in London last month.
Trump had the chance to close out a 6-3 win over the Scot, but missed a straight brown on the final colours with his opponent managing to reel off the final three frames to deny him.
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"I was a little bit disappointed how the match finished and the good chance I had to get over the line," said Trump, who lost last year's Players final 10-9 to Kyren Wilson.
"I take a lot of positives, I was in control for most of the game. As you get older, anything you can use to your advantage is a positive thing.
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'What a reprieve' - Trump squashes chance to win with astonishing missed brown
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I'll try to stem that disappointment from that tournament, and use it as motivation to go out there and correct it."
Meanwhile, the second quarter-final matches take place on Friday with 2023 winner Murphy meeting world champion Zhao Xintong and Mark Selby confronting the 2024 champion Mark Allen.
Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the Welsh Open, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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