▁reached ▁his ▁third ▁ranking ▁event ▁final ▁inside ▁a ▁month ▁at ▁the ▁Play ers ▁Championship ▁where ▁he ▁re e led ▁off ▁a ▁match - def ining ▁six ▁frames ▁in ▁a ▁row ▁from ▁ 2 – 5 ▁down ▁to ▁Fu , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁his ▁sevent h ▁ranking ▁title ▁ 1 0 – 8 . ▁In ▁the ▁third ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁China ▁Open , ▁Trump ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁tele vised ▁ 1 4 7 ▁as ▁he ▁defeated ▁T ian ▁P eng fe i ▁ 5 – 3 , ▁but ▁he ▁suffered ▁a ▁surprise ▁ 3 – 5 ▁loss ▁to ▁H os sein ▁V af ae i ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s . ▁ ▁Trump ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁World ▁Championship ▁declaring : ▁" I ▁honest ly ▁believe ▁I ▁can ▁play ▁to ▁a ▁standard ▁which ▁is ▁very ▁rare ▁now ad ays ," ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" the ▁best " ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁He ▁won ▁the ▁first ▁four ▁frames ▁in ▁his ▁opening ▁match , ▁before ▁R ory ▁Mc Le od ▁respond ed ▁to ▁lead ▁ 5 – 4 . ▁Trump ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁struggling ▁with ▁a ▁shoulder ▁injury ▁and ▁eventually ▁lost ▁the ▁match ▁ 8 – 1 0 ▁to ▁a ▁player ▁ranked ▁ 5 2 ▁places ▁below ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁rank ings . ▁▁ 2 0 1 7 / 2 0 1 8 ▁▁ ▁Trump ▁was ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁rank ings ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁season . ▁He ▁successfully ▁def ended ▁his ▁European ▁Masters ▁title ▁in