Confident Judd Trump believes he is a title contender

World Snooker Championship
Date: 16 April-2 May 2011 Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Coverage: Live coverage each day on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 live. Full TV schedule

Outrageous fluke sets Trump in motion (UK users only)

Bristol's Judd Trump believes his win over defending champion Neil Robertson proves he is a contender for the world title at the Crucible Theatre.

Trump arrived in Sheffield off the back of his maiden tour win in China and having beaten the Australian 10-8 has set his sights on the ultimate prize.

"I knew coming in I had the potential to win it," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I was really confident before this tournament after winning in China, but it's on a different level now."

Trump felt he should have seen off Robertson by a more comfortable margin and is now convinced he can emulate Stephen Hendry's 1989 feat in becoming a 21-year-old world champion.

"After 2-2 I started to show what I can do. I dictated the whole game and the frames he won I kind of gave to him," added Trump.

"I outplayed him for the whole game and it could have been 10-4 or 10-5."

But there are challenges ahead for Trump, not least the fact that he is now going to be playing the longest matches of his career over 25 frames after winning his first Crucible match at the second attempt following a first-round loss on his only previous appearance four years ago.

Trump relished his second Crucible outing following his 2007 debut

Either Marco Fu or Martin Gould will line up against him on Thursday in the first of a potential three sessions.

"It's all new territory for me because I've never played over the long-distance games before, so I've just got to learn quick," said Trump.

"They're different players and Marco's slightly more tactical.

"Not a lot of people have heard of Gould apart from proper snooker fans, but the last couple of seasons he's come to form and he did well in the World Championship last year, has had a good season and he'll be a tough game.

"But if I go out and play my best I think I'll have more than enough to beat both of them.

"I haven't really looked at the draw. I was just concentrating on the first game because it was important after China to prove to myself that it wasn't just a lucky week and I have got the potential to keep it going season after season and game after game."

And Romford-based Trump is already looking beyond this season after securing his top-16 ranking for the 2011/12 campaign when he can challenge the best in the game on a regular basis.

"I feel quite old now because I've been on the tour five or six years, but I'm still young," he said.

"I've already won an event so I've still got the chance to win 15, 20 titles in me. I think I can still do that."