Kyren Wilson believes Judd Trump’s immense success over the last four years can partly be attributed to the rivalry that emerged between the two players.
While the Warrior and the Ace get on pretty well now, comments from Trump sparked something of a feud between the two.
Trump said at the 2018 Northern Ireland Open: ‘People are saying that Kyren is the next up and coming star but he’s nearly my age and he’s won nowhere near what I’ve won.
‘With his personality and mine, it clashes a little bit. People are looking for rivals for the future and I think us two are probably going to be that.’
Trump would go on to win that tournament in Belfast and then win the Masters shortly afterwards, thrashing Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.
Wilson believes that the bit of spice between them clearly helped Judd focus and saw him go on to win the World Championship in 2019.
Asked about his relationship with Trump on the Talking Snooker podcast, Wilson said: ‘I think it was a competitive rivalry and I think it will continue to be that.
‘I think it’s good. I do believe that his turn of real success has come off the back of that. If you look at it properly it came from the Northern Ireland Open, which he went on to win.
‘He went on to win the Masters when he beat me in that first round. He played awesome in that tournament, beat Ronnie comfortably in the final, and to do that to Ronnie at Ally Pally is an awesome achievement.
‘If you look at it, I think it’s definitely helped him with his career. Before that point I felt that I had his number, whereas he’s kind of had mine the last season or two.
‘I think it’s really good, it’s encouraged me to practice harder, it makes me want to get better.
‘I do feel that I’m maybe a moment away from doing what he’s done in the last couple of years. I think that it’s good for the game, good for snooker and good for the standard.’
The competitive rivalry remains but after an exhibition trip to Germany at the start of 2020, the pair put any animosity behind them.
Trump explained: ‘I think it was a bit built-up. We did the exhibitions in Germany so there’s no needle anymore. we’re not best friends, we’ll never be best friends but we get on.’
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