Masters snooker: Judd Trump beats Ding Junhui to reach semi-finals
2025-01-17
Category: sports

World number one Judd Trump won five successive frames after the interval to beat China's Ding Junhui 6-3 in their Masters quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.By reaching the last four at Alexandra Palace, Trump surged past Ronnie O'Sullivan's record for the most prize money earned in a season, with his earnings for 2024-25 approaching Â£1.3m.The 35-year-old set the new mark in typically impressive style.A flurry of brilliant break-building from the Englishman meant Ding, who had opened a 3-1 lead, only managed 39 more points in the rest of the match.The key moment came in the sixth frame when Ding, leading 3-2, did all the hard work to create a frame-winning opportunity but missed an easy red with the rest to the corner pocket.Trump capitalised to level the match and surged clear to set up a semi-final against either Kyren Wilson or Luca Brecel on Saturday.Reigning world champion Wilson and 2023 Crucible winner Brecel meet in the last quarter-final on Friday at 19:00 GMT.
The quarter-final between Ding and Trump was a match of high quality in terms of scoring, with seven of the nine frames containing a break of 70 or above.Ding, the 2011 Masters champion, began in style with well-made contributions of 70 and 74 to take a 2-0 lead.Left-hander Trump responded with a 75 to reduce the deficit but, when the two-time Masters winner missed an awkward red to the corner in frame four, Ding capitalised with a 72 clearance.A 97 break brought Trump back within one frame at 3-2 and he knocked in a half-century following Ding's error in frame six, after which the world number nine failed to pot another ball in the match.The 2019 world champion was dominant from then on, with superb breaks of 125, 62 and 75 completing victory.Trump told BBC Two: "I didn't feel like I'd done a lot wrong [to be 3-1 behind]."I was disappointed to lose the last frame before the interval, but it's very fine margins at this level. Sometimes you finish perfectly and clear up, sometimes you miss and your opponent clears up."
'I'm somewhere near my peak'
Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan, who withdrew from the Masters on the eve of the tournament on medical grounds, earned about Â£1.26m during a 2023-24 season in which he won both the UK Championship and the Masters.Trump will earn at least Â£75,000 for his run to the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace, with a first prize of Â£350,000 on offer to the winner on Sunday.He has already won the Shanghai Masters, the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and the UK Championship this season and continuing his current form could mean he breaks through the Â£2m barrier by the end of the campaign.Trump said: "Probably now I'd say I'm somewhere near my peak. I'm a lot better player than I was maybe five or 10 years ago."I just think it's the consistency, I'm able to have that inner belief over and over again."When I go behind 3-1, I still believe I can do what I did and rattle off five or 10 frames in a row without missing a single ball. That's what you have to do at this level."