Judd Trump feels like he has worked out how to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan (Picture: Getty Images)

Judd Trump knows better than most how to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan on the snooker table, and advises others that the Rocket ‘can only play well if you let him.’

The world number one picked up the Northern Ireland Open trophy on Sunday night thanks to a 9-7 victory over O’Sullivan in Belfast.

The result was an exact copy of last year’s final in Northern Ireland and takes Trump’s record in finals against O’Sullivan to 5-3 in his favour (excluding a couple of minor finals which Trump also won).

Unquestionably the best player on the planet at the moment, the world champion is in confident mood and was happy to put an end to an argument over who would win with both players playing their A-game.

The question was put to Stephen Hendry on Twitter, and the seven-time world champion backed Trump to beat anyone in the game, if he was at his best.

While some argued that an in-form O’Sullivan could still out-do him, Trump replied: ‘Some people don’t understand. He can only play well if you let him.’

The Trump vs O’Sullivan rivalry could still have a long distance to run with the pair expected to be competing at the business end of tournaments all season.

Far from happy to simply pass on the torch to his young rival, Hendry expects O’Sullivan to want to show the world champion who is boss on the baize.

‘You can’t be the type of sportsman that we are, without there being a piece of him that will want to knock Trump off his pedestal,’ Hendry told Metro.co.uk earlier this year.

‘Certainly if I was in his position, that’s what I’d be wanting to do.’

Trump has a lot of respect for the Rocket, praising his unique ability to deal with pressure after their latest Belfast clash, but he also gives the impression that comparisons to O’Sullivan get on his nerves.

The world champ waded into another completely pointless Twitter debate about whether he will catch up to O’Sullivan’s 36 ranking titles, while he is currently on 14.

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It was suggested that Trump has a better opportunity to rack up titles now than O’Sullivan did in the past, to which he replied: ‘Ronnie has had the same opportunities I have had for the last 14 years stop making excuses for him.’

Hopefully this rivalry will be reignited at the UK Championship, which starts next week in York.

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