Judd Trump warned his snooker world No.1 spot is under threat by baize rival

MARK ALLEN has warned Judd Trump helium wants to recapture snooker’s satellite No.1 spot – aft a “disappointing” little clip astatine the top.

One of the narratives of this baize run volition beryllium who finishes astatine the acme of the rankings erstwhile the Crucible World Championship has ended adjacent May.

There is simply a three-way combat going connected between Allen, satellite champion Kyren Wilson and Trump, whose £500,000 cheque for winning the Saudi Masters has fixed him a sizeable cushion.

Yet performances astatine 2 of the 3 Triple Crown events – the UK Championship and Masters – volition play a important relation successful this battle.

Allen, 38, took supremacy of the athletics connected May 7 but aft 111 days, astir of which was during the tournament-free summertime months, the Northern Ireland potter was overtaken by Trump.

The Pistol – an ambassador for Unibet – told SunSport: “It was strange. It was highly underwhelming to execute a beingness extremity and determination wasn’t a batch of sum with it.

“There haven’t been immoderate additives from being satellite No.1. So, it has been a spot disappointing if I’m honest.

“If I was capable to get backmost determination and enactment for a agelong time, I’m definite determination would beryllium other benefits that travel with it. It has been disappointing to accidental the least.

“That’s 1 of my targets that I’ve acceptable for the season, to decorativeness arsenic No.1.

“I cognize I’ll person to person a precise bully twelvemonth fixed however bully a twelvemonth Judd had past year.

“But I’m assured successful my abilities to triumph a fewer tournaments, including the World Championship, which is immense money.

“I’m lone the 12th idiosyncratic that has go satellite No.1 – and determination person been much satellite champions than that.”

Allen faces Gary Wilson connected Monday successful a heldover lucifer astatine the Unibet British Open successful Cheltenham.

The second lawsuit astatine the celebrated racecourse has a FA Cup-style unfastened gully wherever apical seeds could look each different successful aboriginal rounds.

That means determination is the imaginable of Allen and Trump, 35, being drawn against each different astatine immoderate constituent successful Gloucestershire.

The satellite No.3 continued: “What being satellite No.1 brought to my attraction is however good I’m thought of among the players, fixed the magnitude of radical that congratulated me.

“It makes you consciousness taller, it makes you consciousness much important. That’s a large feeling to have.

“It’s a peculiar class to beryllium in. Ultimately, it’s astir winning that satellite championship. That is the container that needs to beryllium ticked successful my CV.

“I judge wherever I americium going with my crippled and if I don’t triumph aggregate events this season, including 1 of the Triple Crowns, past I’ll beryllium disappointed.

“There’s a conflict going connected with the 3 of america close now, that is lone bully for the sport.

“If determination is changeless changing of the defender I deliberation that is great, alternatively than 1 subordinate unsocial lasting out, and the remainder get forgotten about. It tin beryllium a amusive play connected that front.”

Mark Allen is an ambassador for UNIBET, the caller header sponsor for the British Open, which is betwixt September 23-29.