Carter: Testing times ahead for Trump
Ali Carter has warned Judd Trump his Crucible form cannot last forever.
Last year's finalist Trump has been installed as the favourite to win the Betfred.com World Championship despite labouring through his opener against Dominic Dale, and Carter has now booked a second-round clash with the 22-year-old thanks to a crushing 10-2 victory over Mark Davis.
Carter is convinced the day will come when Trump begins to miss and takes a hit to his confidence, saying: "He plays a very open game which is all very well when it's all going well for you. When things do turn, which they will, no player can keep a run of form up forever. We'll see how he handles that."
The 32-year-old from Chelmsford will be hoping that dip comes as soon as this weekend, when he faces Trump in a match which will span Saturday to Monday in Sheffield.
Carter said he is happy to be in the position where all the focus is on his opponent, who has added the UK Championship title to his achievements since springing to prominence at the World Championship 12 months ago.
"He's riding on the crest of a wave. All of us top players have been about a few years and have been on the back of some bad results. And he hasn't had to experience that yet.
"The amount of balls he goes for when he has those battle scars will show us what he's really made of."
Carter envies Trump's single-minded approach, and would love to have the narrow focus the Bristolian brings to his matches.
"I don't think he's got the mind to grasp where he actually is. I think he's just quite a simple-minded person," Carter said. "He just gets on with it and takes it in his stride. My mistake in the past has been that I'm a thinker, and I think about things, whether it's snooker or business or whatever.
"In some respects that can be a bad thing. With Judd, he doesn't do that, or he doesn't appear to, like Neil Robertson, they're just oblivious to what's going on around them and just pot the balls in front of them. I wish I was like that, I would have won a lot more."
