Judd Trump ends title drought with emphatic German Masters victory
Judd Trump brought his 14-month winless streak to an emphatic end on Sunday, crushing Shaun Murphy 10-4 in the German Masters final at Berlin’s Tempodrom, reports BritPanorama.
The 36-year-old’s commanding performance secured him a record-breaking fourth title at this event and his 31st ranking crown overall. Trump now trails only Ronnie O’Sullivan (41), Stephen Hendry (36), and John Higgins (33) in the all-time ranking titles list.
The £100,000 winner’s cheque further cements his position atop the world rankings, a spot he has occupied since August 2024. During his barren spell, Trump had suffered defeat in four separate finals.
Trump made his intentions clear from the outset, constructing a century in the first frame before adding a break of 71 to establish a 2-0 advantage. Murphy responded impressively, posting a 103 and following it with a 58 to draw level, raising expectations of a closely contested affair among the capacity crowd.
However, the momentum shifted decisively after the interval as Trump capitalized on a series of errors from his opponent, rattling off three consecutive frames to open up a commanding lead. Although Murphy stemmed the bleeding in frame eight with his tenth century of the tournament, he trailed by just two heading into the evening session.
The electric atmosphere in Berlin appeared to favour Murphy as he built towards a break of 60, seemingly poised to close the gap. Yet Trump snatched the frame on the final black and proceeded to dominate the remaining frames before the final interval, returning with a 9-3 advantage.
Though Trump squandered his first chance to clinch the title, allowing Murphy to compile a 55 clearance and briefly prolong the contest, the reprieve proved short-lived. Trump wrapped up proceedings in the fifteenth frame, ending his frustrating run of final defeats.
For Murphy, the defeat extended his difficult record in ranking finals, having now lost 16 of his 29 title matches throughout his career. The Magician had been a standout performer earlier in the week, dispatching Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson, and Neil Robertson convincingly before faltering on the biggest stage.
Trump’s remarkable affinity with this tournament continues, adding to his previous triumphs in 2020, 2021, and 2024. While neither player reached their absolute peak in the final, Trump’s determination and focus ultimately proved decisive.
With renewed belief, Trump heads to the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, showing that the champion still knows how to deliver when the stakes are highest, a striking reminder of how the golf-able face of sport can shift so rapidly.
