English Open 2023 recap - Judd Trump beats Zhang Anda 9-7 in showpiece final at Brentwood Centre

Comiserations to Zhang, who looked for most of the day like he might pull off one of the most life-affirming tournament wins in Brentwood. Unlikely comebacks don't half stir the soul as well though, so tremendous credit to Judd for digging that out when it looked all but gone. It's been a superb final, and a fitting end to a great week of snooker.

Thanks to you all for your company this week, we'll be back on the baize with you again soon.

In his post game chat with Rachel, Angles and the whirlwind, he says he has no idea how he turned that around. He pays credit to the support of his brother Jack, a rock this week and through his career, and whose positive vibes make such a difference in the dressing room. 'The harder and the longer you have to wait, the more you appreciate it,' says Judd of ending his 19 month drought in ranking events. I suspect there's a good night out coming off the back of this.

For the second time in his career, Judd gets his mits on the English Open trophy; it's the 24th ranking event win of his brilliant career, and his first ranking event title for 19 months. What a player; you could take the view that Zhang lost that after such a lead, but credit to Judd; he overcame a tough opponent playing above himself, not to mention a cue tip that was causing him aggro, to win six frames in a row and pinch it. That's the moxie of a true champion. Judd hoists the trophy up; he also gets a cheque for 80 grand and a barnet full of confetti as it falls from the rafters.

Rachel Casey has some chat with the players. Zhang, who must be gutted, chuckles a little when asked about pressure. 'Big pressure!' he laughs, and he's smiling. He says Judd was just too good. As for Judd, he states what we all saw; in the early stages Zhang was all over him. He thinks Zhang can get to this stage of a tournament again.

At points today, Zhang was hammering Trump out there; he lead the match 5-1 and then 7-3. Judd, fresh from a stunning comeback to beat John Higgins in a decider yesterday to reach the final, fought back brilliantly, and won six frames on the spin to take the title. Applause for both, please. That was a magnificent final.

With everything in the bag, Judd lets his arm fly. He pots a preposterous double on the yellow, the length of the table, booms in the brown, and then flukes the blue. Brentwood love it! He goes on to dish the lot, and he's won the English Open!

Judd drops on frame ball red off the black. It's straight to right middle, and in it goes. What a comeback - scratch that, pair of comebacks, counting yesterday too - from him. Sensational!

Zhang can only make eight, after coming perilously close to going in-off in the green pocket. It's some points though, his first for a long time. Judd is soon back in though with a long red, and he's just about on the brown; when he gets back down the table, he opens the bunch off the black. He's on one to the right middle, which he deposits to land on the black; this is frame, match and title in his hands, right here.

Yikes, it's looking bad for Zhang now; it's another poor break-off shot and he's left a red on to left middle again. Was that his last shot? Judd mops it up, and a brilliant blue early in his break to go in and out of baulk off two cushions to land on his next red keeps things moving. The black is on to both corners, and it looks like one compliant whack of the pack might sort it at this visit. Just as I type that though, Judd misses a black of its spot! Oh my, what a touch for Zhang; he's got to take advantage of this.

One red later and the frame is over. For the first time today, Judd hits the front; this is some comeback, his second in two days. Can he see it over the line in the next frame or can Zhang take us all the way?

A double to right middle is frame ball for Judd, and he drives it in. The pink will make absolutely sure but he rolls it out off the knuckles of the same pocket, so Zhang returns to the table needing two snookers. He's struggling though, and a poor safety leaves a red over the left middle.

Judd adds another 18, and can't believe it when he goes around the angles off the blue and fails to disturb any of the six safe reds that are left. Safety ensues, and it's Judd that's in again next with a red to the bottom left. He's inching closer to hitting the front for the first time.

It's a mistake from Judd, as he overcuts a blue to right middle and it stays out. It's a horrible table though, and there isn't much on. Zhang hasn't potted for a good time now, and soon misses a cut back on a red to bottom right to leave Judd another chance to score. It's looking like one that needs to be won it bits, and right now it looks like Judd that will win this and the match. He's in total charge here.

So Judd has the momentum, but we've seen it shift more than once in this match; what a finish we could be in for now. Judd gets in first in frame 15, dunking a red long into the bottom right, but he can't land on the black to keep going. Zhang then misses a long red to the bottom left by a long way, his radar seems to have deserted him completely from distance. In the safety exchange that follows - a full eight minutes - Zhang cracks first and leaves Judd a mid-range red to bottom right. It's a horrible table, with pink and black tied up, so scoring big here will take some doing.

Judd ends the argument in this one with a red-black combo. He's won four on the spin here, and this final is now a best of three.

After a safety exchange Zhang goes all out for a deadweight red to bottom left from distance, but it doesn't go close; Judd sweeps in a red to left middle in response, and that might well be the frame. A few pots later, he's on frame ball red to bottom right; he's left it tougher than necessary, but middles it anyway. Zhang's back at the table now, needing three snookers. Barring something dramatic here, we're going to be all square.

Judd reaches a half-century by booming in the black and splitting the reds off one cushion. That leaves a tough cut on a red to left middle to keep going, which he makes but he's lost control of the white and it's end of break. Zhang returns to find himself snookered tight behind the green. He'll do well not to leave anything here, and oh my word does he do well - a three cushion escape sees the white land softly on a red at the back of the bunch, leaving nothing!

Zhang will need to compose himself here, and put that frame out of his mind. He'll also have to contain Judd, who is warming to the task now. From Zhang's break-off shot a red flies up the table, and it's on to the left middle; Judd tags it in, gets a nice flick off the pack, and he's on the blue. He's accumulating points quickly again here, with the black on to both corners and lots of loose reds to go for.

Judd calmly clears up to the pink, and he now trails by just one frame.

Another loose attempt at a pot from Zhang sees Judd step in to mop up a red-blue. The final two reds are on the bottom cushion, and he can't get on them, at least not initially. Zhang leaves a red on to the bottom right from a safety and Judd, who you sense has noted an opponent struggling for the first time today, drills it in followed by the blue. Dare he take on the red to the bottom right along the cushion? He does...and he's missed it! Unbelievably though, he escapes leaving it as a tap in for Zhang. Rather than take on a preposterous cut fraught with danger, Zhang plays safe; it's a horror show though, as he sticks the red up near the right middle! What a few shots there, crikey.

Zhang gets a look at a red to bottom right with the rest. It's a big shot, and it misses by a big distance; his head sinks as he realises it means a chance for Judd. That's the first real show of any emotion from Zhang today, he's handled this occasion so well up to now. His mistake only costs him four points though, as after red-green Judd can't find a path to his next red. Zhang then butchers an attempt at a long red, missing by a long way; it's only human to react to pressure, and Judd is putting that on him. Judd plugs a red-brown combo this time, but the final three reds are still awkward so this can still go either way.

Judd quickly dismantles Zhang's slender lead, but there's work to do to win this. There are three reds next to each other near the pink, and Judd tries to open them off the blue; he catches one full ball and puts it safe, while neither of the others will pot. We're back on safety, and have five reds left on the table. This is tense stuff now.

We're back then - Zhang needs two, Judd needs four. Three of the last four frames have been a one-kill, so if that standard continues we could be in for a right old shoot out in the next few hours. The first chance of frame 13 falls to Zhang, as Judd butchers a safety and leaves a red over the bottom right. Zhang picks it off, but doesn't fully commit to it and as a result isn't on a colour. Safety ensues, and Zhang gets back in by gliding in a superb long red to go back up for the green. Another nerveless black - dispatched despite an awkward angle - soon follows, and soon after he's into the bunch off another black. They split nicely, but it leaves tough cueing over a red to reach one to the bottom right. Instead he takes one on to the right middle; it's close, but it coughs out. That's a big reprieve for Judd, who drains a red long to the green pocket and holds for the black.

A little stutter at the line for Judd, as he shorts a positional short and is forced to make a plant to the bottom left. He does so, regally, and quickly puts the frame to sleep. A black to bottom right brings up a century, and the last red disappears off the table as Judd rolls it down the rail and into the bottom right. He then lets his arm go and has a bit of fun, mopping up a wonderful 135 to keep this final a live proposition. Wonderful stuff in that mini-session, from both players.

Oh wow, what a split on the reds from Judd! He wallops into them at pace from the black, and they split like a detonating firework. These could go in a couple of minutes here, because they've landed like a practice table. The half-century is here already - although the black wobbles into the bottom right more than is comfortable - and he looks sure to slice Zhang's four frame lead in half again.

'This feels like a monster frame to me,' says Neal Foulds in co-comms, and he'll be thrilled to know that I concur. It's the last before the interval, and it will really set the tone before we return. Judd gets the first look as a containing safety from Zhang is short, and leaves a red on to left middle. Judd slices it in, and he's off and running.

Zhang leaves a chance at a double, and Judd drains it to the right middle. Off the black he then drops in behind the difficult red, near the left rail, and he rolls that in to land on the black. He'll be breathing out here, this is a huge frame and this final will now go beyond the interval. Judd clears up to the brown, and chips a piece out of Zhang's lead.

Judd snicks in a red as a shot to nothing, but fails to land on a colour. After he misses a red to left middle a few shots later, Zhang plugs one into the right middle but can't shift another red into position after potting the yellow. There are three reds left, and this feels like a pretty crucial juncture in the match.

How big might this be? Zhang undercuts a blue to right middle, and it bounces out off the high jaw. What a chance now for Judd, which he almost blows by landing too close to a red. There's plenty of moxie inside him too mind, and he plays a short jab on it into the left middle, which trickles in. As his break hits 24, disaster strikes; he splits four reds nicely, but as he does so the white flies off the cushion and into the left middle! Zhang can't convert a red from the D though, and with five reds left out there this is in the balance.

Judd makes a complete hash of a cut on a red to left middle, overcutting it badly and being fortunate not to leave anything. A few shots later, Judd has Zhang in all sorts with the white in baulk, no path back there and no obvious pot on. How about this mind - Zhang has deadweighted a red down the left of the table into the bottom left, and he lands perfect on the black! That's another stunner, his highlights reel from this match will be quite something. There are loose reds all over and this is a real chance. Judd's lead is soon gone, and if Zhang can convert this chance into a frame-winner, the match might be too.

Here's a chance for Judd, as a safety from Zhang pushes a red out over the bottom right. Judd clips it in, and it's a chance; you fee he needs something meaningful here, but his effort curtails on 14 as he gets too much side on the white after going in and out of baulk off the blue, and he's not on any of the free reds.

We don't get back-to-back tons as Zhang misses a red along the bottom cushion. Bah! It's another quick kill from him though, and that 98 restores his four frame lead. Judd is in serious bother here; if he can't get at least one of the next two, it's over before the interval.

Another good recovery shot, red to left middle, drops Zhang perfectly on the black. Given the circumstances - the opponent, the score, the title on the line, his maiden final - this is exceptional so far. Frame ball red is dispatched with the rest, and Zhang's on the pink; he's going to be two frames away from victory.

The moxie in Zhang, my days. He drains a mid-range red to bottom right to keep going, but loses the white to the left of the table. From there, he calmly deadweights the black into the bottom right, and he's back in position once more. Taking on the big shots is one thing, nailing them is another; that's was clean as a whistle, right in the centre, the shot of a man who really believes it's his time. A black to bottom right brings up a half-century, and it's looking ominous in this frame for Judd.

Zhang breaks off in frame 10, and leaves Judd a hand on table chance at a red to bottom right. It's one he normally gobbles up, but Judd has struggled from long range today and it coughs out of the bottom right. That leaves Zhang a cut on a red to left middle; it's a good look, and in it goes. On 22 he's forced to stun in a red and go into the pack. He needs to force it through, which he does, but all it's left him is a thin cut on a black to bottom right with the rest. This has to go, because there's so much on now the reds have spread...and it does! Another superb shot from Zhang.

What a cool, calm break that was. Zhang sails past the winning line in the frame, but he's not done. To huge applause he empties the table for his second century of the day, a 109 that puts him three frames ahead.

What a shot this is! The six remaining reds are bunched, and Zhang goes into them via potting the black and launching the white off the bottom cushion. It's controlled beautifully, and they've split like a dream. The break moves quickly to 45, and it looks a walk in from here. Nerves eh, what are those?

Zhang has spotted a three ball plant in the bunch. It needs making, and Zhang makes it; the pot straightens perfectly to fly into the bottom right, and he's on the brown. It's a good chance, and Zhang is being very measured about this; the first frame tonight is huge. He stuns in the black and goes into the pack, freeing a few more reds, and this is starting to open up.

Judd, with a new tip on his cue after his woes this afternoon, plays a poor safety to start frame nine, catching a double kiss to give Zhang an immediate chance with an easy starter. Zhang starts the evening session in the same manner he started the afternoon, and goes into the pack early. After two reds and blacks it goes awry though, as a poor positional shot leaves him mid-range on his next red, which jars in the jaws of the bottom left and stays there. Judd responds with 12, before losing position himself and missing a double on a red to left middle.

Here come the players, into a Brentwood Centre that is absolutely rocking tonight. First to none then, let's get into it.

It's a simple equation for Zhang tonight. If he stays in front of Judd, by whatever means necessary, then he'll win his first ever ranking event title. He was fearless this afternoon and must go for his shots again tonight.

As for Judd, the end of the session came at the wrong time for him. He'd just strung two frames in a row together to halve his deficit, and as a result has more margin for error now. James Warren White thinks he's favourite tonight, and Judd certainly won't be bothered about having to win it from behind, because he's more than adept at that (see 'yesterday' for details, and numerous other examples).

Right then, where were we? Zhang needs four, Judd needs six, that's where; it should be a belter of an evening.

Join us again from 18.45 UK time to see how this one plays out.

What a fascinating evening we've got in store now. For six frames there Zhang was magnificent, and might have won them all; a brilliant total clearance of 128 was the highlight of a performance that quelled Judd Trump completely. It was a fearless display in his first ever ranking event final. Judd, miscuing and missing long pots in equal measure, looked completely out of sorts. Class is permanent though, and two stirring breaks from him to take the last two frames mean this final is still in the balance.

Blimey, he's had to ride his luck a bit in this frame. After a poor positional shot Judd switches reds, and needs to cut it in off the left jaw of the bottom left. He's over the line a few balls later, can he finish with a flourish? Seemingly so, as the final red and then a blue brings up the round ton. Judd goes on to make 120, before walloping the black so hard that it launches off the table. Frame to Judd then, and it's a very different final now.

'Oooh' go the crowd, as Judd uses all of the left middle to pot the pink! He's settled down again now, and it's a second half-century in a row and counting. It looks routine from here and, belatedly, Judd has arrived in this final.

A tight break-off shot is the order of the day here for Zhang, but he doesn't get one. A red coughs out to the right and it's on, and Judd calmly sweeps it in to pull up on the green. It's an early chance, and another good pot on a red sees him disturb the pack and just about land on the green again. A quick kill here and it's a very different looking final to what it was 20 minutes ago.

Zhang eventually misses a red to the green pocket, leaving it in the jaws. He turns to Judd and concedes, it's accepted, and we've now got a huge one coming up to round out the afternoon.

It's a half-century for Judd, his highest break of the day by far, and which sets up frame ball red to right middle. He glides that in, but can't follow it with the black; Zhang returns, but he needs two snookers.

A poor return to baulk from Judd sees the red slide into the yellow pocket. Both players then miss long reds by a whisker, before Judd finally drains a long red to land on the black. He soon goes into the pack, and after stabbing a close quarters red into the left middle it's a real chance to put up a meaningful score and peg a frame back.

Judd gets a chance in frame seven as Zhang leaves a red over the bottom right from a safety. That's clipped in, followed by a blue to yellow pocket, and he's away - or so he thinks. On 14 a poor shot on the black means he's not on his intended next red, the only one available, and can only lay a snooker thereafter.

Zhang calmly steps in and mops up a further 33 to put the frame to bed, inclusive of a high-on-life yellow that he bullets long to the bottom right. He's having some fun out there, this is the time of his life!

Just a reminder here that this final is a best of 17, not 19; as such, I'd say Judd needs the next two otherwise he's in serious and possibly irretrievable bother tonight.

Fortune favours the brave alright. Zhang makes a plant to bottom right, clattering a red off the cushion thereafter and landing perfectly on the pink. The break reaches 47, but is this a twist? In potting the pink for what he thinks is his half-ton, Zhang watches in horror as he clips off a red and the white drops into the right middle! Can Judd convert a red long from the D to mount a fightback? It's a flat no, as he rattles another one out of the bottom right and leaves the frame on.

Oh my word, Judd miscues again! After potting the blue Judd lines up a short, deep screw on a red, but nine irons it straight over the object ball to give away four! He's served up position to Zhang as well, who negotiates two tricky pots on black and then red despite cueing high over other balls. What a chance he's got now to ensure a lead come the evening session; it could be a huge lead if the afternoon continues like this.

It's an early chance for Judd in frame six, the kind of mid-range red that he knocks in blindfolded when he's on it. He's most definitely not on it today though, rattling it out of the jaws and leaving it for Zhang. This fearless session from Zhang continues as he dunks in the red and goes straight into the pack off the blue. It's a booming split, but they've landed a bit awkward with pink and black tied up for the moment. On 10 he tries a brutally tough long blue to the yellow pocket to keep things going, but misses by a good distance. Judd fires in a mid-range red, and has a chance to get his arm moving here.

There goes another one, as Zhang drops in frame ball red. Can he turn this into a ton? You bet! He floats in blue to left middle on his way up for the colours to make it so. Can he total the lot? You bet the sequel, as he takes the colours off their spots for a quite brilliant 128!

This is a beautifully controlled break from Zhang. He runs into the last cluster of reds off the blue, and they break open perfectly; the half-century is soon in the books and he looks nailed on to turn this into a frame-winner now. This is a brilliant start; I said he wouldn't obe overawed, but I wasn't quite expecting this.

We're back, and Zhang's really getting the run here as he flukes a red into the bottom left at the start of frame five. Said luck still needs cashing in tough, and a couple of superb pots early in his break, on black and then red, give him a chance to go into the pack of the yellow. It leaves only a tough red to left middle to keep going, but he only drains it to go off two cushions and land perfectly on the black! Another highlights reel shot from Zhang, and want a chance to extend his lead now.

Here's the key shot, as Zhang drops on a red just below the remaining pack. Zhang stuns it in, nudges the pack above open an lands perfectly on the black. Within a few shots he pots frame ball red to the left middle, leaving Judd needing two snookers. As Zhang's left him behind the green, Judd waves it off and we go off to the interval.

What a start for Zhang, who could easily have swept all four there. We'll be back in 15 minutes.

Crikey, what a miss! Zhang cues across a simple red to bottom right with the rest, and is so lucky not to leave anything. For his part, Judd will be relieved that the frame didn't disappear from his earlier mistake. Judd gets a solitary red down in the exchange that follows, before missing a red to left middle that leaves a chance for Zhang. It's a big shot, and Zhang drains a mid-range red to bottom right to come up for the blue. That goes too, and it's back in his hands.

Oh my days, what a howler from Judd here! With the white close to the top cushion, he takes on a long pot; he cues almost straight over the top of the white, miscueing it horrifically and fortunately coming off two cushions to gently nudge a red. That leaves Zhang with an easy starter, and he could heaving punish that mistake. Zhang soon goes into the pack off the blue, before gliding in a tough red to left middle to keep going. He's playing superbly here.

Zhang cuts in a tricky red to slide in behind frame ball black, which he calmly rolls in. An insurance red follows, and Judd won't be coming back in this one. We don't get the ton, but an 85 confirms a one-hit frame for Zhang.

It's the shot of the match here from Zhang, who drains a tough pink to left middle, comes off the side cushion and nudges the black free; that's brilliant. This is now officially A Frame-Winning Chance, but there's a nervous moment for Zhang when his next red wipes it's feet and uses all of the jaws of the bottom left to drop. He's back in control now though, and up over the half-century mark.

A fearless long red from Zhang gets him in at the start of frame three, and he's on the yellow. The black is tied up but there are points on here, and he steadily starts piling up a lead. If he can get on a red that's adjacent to the black an plug it into the bottom left, he'll really be in business.

It's an ongoing battle for position for Judd, but, being Judd, he pots his way out of bother. A brilliant green and then brown leave him straight on frame ball blue; he clears to the pink, and we're level.

One red has now gone safe, and Zhang takes charge of the situation when he clangs a long red into the bottom left followed by the pink. He then fails to convert a red long to the yellow pocket, and Judd picks it off instead. Off the blue he has a go at a double on the final safe red, but it doesn't go close. And how about this for drama - Judd bashes his way out of a snooker, flukes a snooker in return, but leaves the red in the jaws of the green pocket! If Zhang can tag this in, he's surely favourite for the frame...but he's missed it, and left the frame on for Judd.

Judd tickles the remaining cluster off the blue, but it leaves only a tough cut back on a red to bottom left. He booms it in, and the other reds split perfectly. It's a wrestle to get perfect position with the white though, and on 36 and with three reds remaining, he runs the white behind the pink and his break is over. All three reds and colours are in the open here, so whoever gets in next is a huge favourite to take the frame.

Zhang goes into the pack again, but it only leaves a nasty cut on a red to bottom left while bridging over the pack. He can't convert it, and it's end of break on 41. Judd comes straight back at him with a red into the bottom right, and it's a chance to counter.

Judd plays a high risk, high reward red to the bottom right, knowing he'll be leaving a chance if he misses. The pot rattles and doesn't drop, and Zhang is left with a tap-in to bottom left to get going. There's a few loose reds to go at here, and the black is on to both corners. The pack likes tight enough to split well, so this is a chance. Zhang goes into the pack off the blue to reach 29; it only leaves a tough red, slow-rolled to the yellow pocket, to keep going. Zhang nails it, and he's really settling in to this final.

Zhang is very precise indeed, scooping 45 which is more than enough to win the opening frame.

More safety follows in this epic of an opening frame, but Judd blinks first and leaves a red on to left middle. Zhang plugs it, then the gimme black, then a testing cut on a red to bottom right to go up to baulk. When he comes back down the table off the brown, he's finally in decent position. This is now a frame-winning chance, but he'll have to be precise as the reds he needs are close together near the bottom right.

Judd makes 15 in reply, but misses a long pink to the green pocket to bring Zhang back to the table. His visit only brings seven though, as a thin cut on a black stays up and in the jaws of the bottom right. There are seven reds left out there, all safe; with the black covering one corner pocket there could be some mileage left in this one.

It's almost another ten minutes without a pot going down, but we should get one now; Judd tries to shift a red away from the bottom right by playing another one onto it, but leaves the target red in the jaws. Zhang clangs another red onto it from baulk and let the bells ring out - it's the first pot of today's final! Zhang is on the pink too; the black is snarled up but the blue is available, and there are a lot of reds to go for. the break gets to 15, but what sounded like a heavy contact on the pink sees it rattle in the jaws of the bottom right and stay up. A chance for Judd here.

Cagey stuff here, with both players keeping it tight at the outset. The safety play is of the highest standard, as ten minutes go by without a pot being registered. Only Judd has had a yahoo at one so far, a long red as a shot to nothing that rattled out of the jaws of the bottom right. Caution is the order of the day so far.

The players step out into a packed arena, and we're good to go. There will be eight frames this afternoon, with an interval in the middle. Let's get it.

Judd has had the better of it on the six occasions that these two have met before, but it’s worth noting that Zhang has turned him over twice, in the 2013 Indian Open and 2016 World Open. They’ve never played in anything above a best of 11, and there’s potentially 17 to play today.

It’s been a long slog for Zhang to get to this point today. Prior to this week in Brentwood he’d never made it beyond the quarters in any ranking event, after turning professional in the 2009-10 season. This is dreamland stuff, and playing over the long haul against a higher-ranked opponent won’t phase him. He’s been to the first round of the World Championship three times, and although he lost on each occasion, he took the great Stephen Hendry all the way to a decider on his debut in Sheffield in 2010.

Judd is a former winner of this title, back in his reign of terror days in 2020 when he was scooping up ranking event victories for fun. It’s been a bit of a lean two and half years on that front since though, landing only the Turkish Masters in 2022 in that time. He’s kept his game and his bank balance sharp by winning prestigious invitationals like the Masters and the Champion of Champions, and will be jonesing for his 24th ranking event win today.

Welcome one and all to the final of the 2023 English Open. If you’ll allow us a touch of alliteration, it’s been a belting week of baize in Brentwood. We’ve had flexes from the best in the game combined with loud barks from the underdogs, and it’s served up an intriguing final.

Judd Trump was on his way out of the tournament yesterday afternoon, before he rattled off four frames on the spin to edge John Higgins 6-5 in their semi-final. Facing him today will be Zhang Anda, who overcame compatriot Lui Hongyu 6-2 last night. Although he’s odds against today, Zhang will not be overawed; on Thursday night he scored the upset of the tournament – so far – when he eliminated Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Those are the finalists, and here is the bounty: the trophy their playing for today is named after the pride of Romford, the nugget – one Steve Davis, the six-time world champion, baize legend and now techno DJ. There’s also 80 large on the table for the winner, which converts to a boat load of ranking points.

Plenty happening in Brentwood today then; boys will be baized forthwith.

Judd Trump advanced to the English Open final after a thrilling 6-5 comeback win against John Higgins, against all odds.

Trump struggled to get anywhere near his best for the majority of the tie and fell three frames behind twice, but suddenly clicked into gear when trailing 2-5.

After forcing a decider with some world-class snooker, Trump stormed through the final hurdle to reach Sunday's final, where he will face Zhang Anda.

Zhang secured safe passage to his first final of a ranking event when getting the better of fellow Chinese player Liu Hongyu 6-2 in his semi-final.

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