World No. 1 Judd Trump may have a career in coaching ahead of him if his eagerness to assist Stan Moody is any indication. This comes after he admitted he caught himself 'screaming at the TV' while watching Moody's rushed display against Kyren Wilson.
Moody, 19, made his World Snooker Championship debut facing 2024 winner Kyren Wilson on Monday. However, despite establishing leads of 3-0 and 7-3 at various points in the match, the teenager eventually crashed out in a 10-7 loss.
'The Action' dropped seven straight frames to conclude what might have been a memorable debut on a disappointing note instead. And Trump, who progressed to the second round with a 10-5 victory over a dejected Gary Wilson, insisted the match was 'there for the taking' if he had just demonstrated more composure.
'It was nice this year because I think some of the younger talent that has come through has been from China recently, and it was nice that they both got through together, Stan and Liam [Pullen],' he told TNT Sports while praising this year's debutants.
'I think they are amazing talents. I have not seen as much of Liam as I have of Stan, but he looks like he works extremely hard.
'Obviously Stan, it was there for the taking, just a little bit naive even. I was there screaming at the TV. Just relax, slow it down! Because a lot of the time, he would have a pressure shot and he would get quicker, whereas as you get older, you know to take a step back.'
Needless to say, there is ample time for Moody to develop and incorporate that patience into his game. Yet the squandered chance of eliminating a former world champion on your Crucible debut is not the type of close call he will forget in a hurry.
The rising star checked himself out of hospital to guarantee he made one of his qualifying matches before this year's tournament. Many within the sport believe it is simply a question of when, not if, Moody - a quarter-finalist at both the British Open and Wuhan Open last year - claims a world title.
Nonetheless, Trump ensured he emphasised the quality he recognises in Moody's game, despite this week's departure from Sheffield. It seems the youngster has a possible mentor in the second seed should he wish.
'But he is an amazing talent, he will be back here so many times,' he added. 'But it is hard to watch for me because even though I do not know him very well, you just want to get in his corner and say, Look, just slow down a little bit.'
'The Ace in the Pack' has established himself as one of the finest talents of this generation through deliberate shot selection and time management around the table. Moody could develop into an even more exciting prospect if he were to absorb some wisdom from the 2019 world champion, who will meet either Hossein Vafaei or Si Jiahui in the next round.
