JUDD TRUMP faces a cue dilemma this Christmas – and whether or not he should ask Santa for a new one.
The Juddernaut’s talent is undeniable and he is one of the main contenders for any snooker tournament he enters.
However, he has lost FOUR finals in a row now, the latest being last Sunday’s UK Championship showdown where he was defeated 10-8 by Mark Selby.
Earlier this season Trump ‘retired’ his 2019 World Championship-winning cue as he experimented with a new piece of wood.
But then he went back to the cue that brought him so much joy at the Crucible as he searches in vain for the old magic.
Ahead of next month’s Masters at Ally Pally – an event he has won twice – Trump will return to his Dubai base and work out what to do.
The world no.1 said: “Whatever happens, happens with the cue. I will go away now, put in the practice, regroup and look forward to the rest of the season.
“I mean I’ll definitely try something cue-wise. I mean I’ve had some good results considering I’ve not played that much compared to normal.
“Unless you put the hours in, then you’re never going to be as sharp.
“I’m getting to a final and not playing well. When I come up against someone playing well, I keep getting found out.
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“My form is consistent but not where it was 2-3 years ago. I struggle whenever someone plays well.
“I’ll be back practising. See which cue to play with. Maybe find a new cue. Put the work in.
“There are exhibitions in China over the end of December. But I will be back home practicing before the Masters.
“It’s a tricky one because I know the cue works but it’s just that I want that consistency as well of kind of knowing where the ball’s going to go at all times.
“At the moment it’s a bit hit-and-miss. A couple of frames aren’t good and then I go missing a little bit.
“Just waiting for that one game, one spark.”
