Masters snooker 2023 final live stream - Judd Trump faces Mark Williams in Alexandra Palace showdown
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ByEurosport
Updated 15/01/2023 at 23:19 GMT
It's Judd Trump against Mark Williams in the final of the 2023 Masters. Trump beat Stuart Bingham despite not being at his best in the semi-finals, while Williams brushed aside Jack Lisowski 6-0, and both will head into the final at Alexandra Palace over two sessions on Sunday in confident mood. Stream the Masters and more top snooker action live on Eurosport and discovery+.
Trump seals a 6-1 victory over Bingham to reach the final of The Masters
Righto, that's us done for this competition
Join me again, er ... tomorrow at 6.45pm GMT, for the start of the World Grand Prix!
Judd hoists the Hunter for the second time!
Well done him! He didn't play his best, but not his best is so good he got it done anyway. Great stuff, and if he improves with the confidence this'll have given him, the rest of the tour had better watch out.
Judd speaks
It's incredible, he says, admitting he was totally outplayed through the match but found some form at the end. He should have been out in all three rounds, he reckons, and rates grinding this out his greatest-ever performance. Sometimes, he notes, he missed balls from on top of the pockets, but he got there in the end though a lot of players played better than him - he just "did a Selby on them". He really is delighted, saying it's been a hard season and he's lost a few tight games. He's annoyed to be playing in the World Grand Prix on Tuesday "because I just wanna go out and get smashed". Indeed.
Mark speaks
It was a good match at a decent standard, he thinks, and notes what a fine player Judd is, praising the break that won the title. He thanks the crowd then says though he's old, he's giving the young lads a run for their money; he left everything out there and has loved the week, Ally Pally being the best arena in the sport.
What a match that was!
Judd shakes hand with his dad, sat in the crowd - what a moment!
Judd Trump beats Mark Williams 10-8 to win the 2023 Masters!
I'm not totally certain how he's done it, but he's done it! He punches the air on potting frame-ball and he's absolutely flying now, milking the moment as he might; as everyone always should. He plays an exhibition pink, hammering it home and bringing the white around the table, punishes black to black pocket, and finishes on 126! Can he go on from here and reassert himself at the top of the game? I'd be extremely unsurprised to see it.
Trump 9-8 Williams (56-8)
Judd hasn't won a competition since the Turkish Masters last March, but somehow he found some form down the home straight, and this is going to be his second Masters title!
Trump 9-8 Williams (33-8)
Judd canters into the pack off the blue, the reds move nicely, and this could well be a one-visit kill! This is great stuff, and the winning line is in sight.
Trump 9-8 Williams (0-8)
Let's be real, we deserve a decide, so with all due respect to Judd, come on Mark. And look at that, a gloooorious red to right corner gets him away and he breaks the pack off the black ... only to finish on nowt. He really, really wants to keep the run going though, so attacks a brute to green pocket, misses, and this is the chance Judd'll have been hoping for! There's work to do, but he's in!
Trump 9-8 Williams
Judd Trump is a helluva player and helluva competitor. He's hung in this tournament, and now he's a frame away from winning it!
Trump 8-8 Williams (71-40)
Judd clips in the final red when offered the chance to, and this is going to be 9-8!
Trump 8-8 Williams (66-40)
Ach, Mark snookers himself behind the pink, has to smash a red off the cushion, almost flukes it, and leaves it. If Judd can drain it, which he can, he can try and dislodge the remaining red off the pink, which he can't. The chase is on!
Trump 8-8 Williams (59-33)
But he leaves a cut to left corner, Mark cuts it home hard, an this is as good a chance for a pilfer as he can possibly have hoped for. There's a red on the side cushion in baulk, but Mark will be well back in the frame if he's still at the table when that one becomes relevant.
Trump 8-8 Williams (59-0)
A pink goes nicely to middle but Judd runs out of reds having pushed one into baulk, and this frame is still alive when he narrowly misses the cluster off a blue going in and out of baulk. so it's a safety, and that 59 looks a frame-winning contribution to me.
Trump 8-8 Williams (40-0)
I've just inhaled two Twisters - a consolation prize, I was hoping to find a Fruit Pastille - but not a bad one. Judd sends a starter long to the green pocket, and has he found himself yet again? Now would be a decent time and he's looking really purposeful at the table all of a sudden. He's also potted five red-blacks.
Trump 8-8 Williams
MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE
Trump 7-8 Williams (56-30)
Judd considers a double ... and absolutely clatters it home to the whooping of the crowd. But on nothing, he snuggles in behind the black and though Mark hits the yellow, he leaves it. Barring snookers, this will be 8-8 and a best of three for the Paul Hunter!
Trump 7-8 Williams (24-30)
Mark gets really close to taking one from centre to right corner, which means he leaves it; Judd punishes it home and comes down for the black. He's such a competitor and carries with him the threat that he can explode into devastation at any moment.
Trump 7-8 Williams (24-30)
Mark's feeling himself now, starting another run with a double and quickly closing the gap. But playing to gently cannon the pack, he totally misjudges the shot so plays safe onto black cush.
Trump 7-8 Williams (24-5)
He cannot, missing an easy one to left corner, and that's the fragile confidence I was on about earlier. There's a touch of Michael van Gerwen about him, a short spell of wild domination with some of the most brilliant stuff ever played, then a period of not being as good but still being really good. Meantime, Mark finds a fine plant ... and goes in-off! But again, Judd can't take advantage, playing a really poor starter before missing the black. The force is with Mark.
Trump 7-8 Williams (19-0)
A rare long-pot miss from Mark, who leaves a relatively simple cut to left-middle. Judd's not made a significant contribution in a while - he needs one here, but can he find it?
Trump 7-8 Williams
A 107 and that's the lead. Mark J Williams is amazing, and his young son gives him the thumbs up. What a buzz for the pair of them!
Trump 7-7 Williams (0-114)
Mark J is ton-hunting and as he despatches the colours there's no reason to think he won't get it.
Trump 7-7 Williams (0-75)
There are few sportsfolk in the world as equanimous as Mark J, and the way he's ignored losing one as long as the last to seize this is typical. He is brilliant.
Trump 7-7 Williams (0-51)
Out of naewhere, Mark misses a regulation red so we're back playing safety, but he's soon back at the table, a lush red across its width to right-middle keeping him going. H\'s inching closer to the lead once more...
Trump 7-7 Williams (0-22)
The players were smiling together as they left the arena - they know they're involved in an epic, and so are we. Late-night elite-level snooker simply cannot be beaten. So, can Judd get the reds safe off the break, finally? Er no, he misses to right corner ... but second go, smokes home to left; that was so clean even Mary Whitehouse enjoyed it. A pink follows, a lovely little cannon on the next red frees the black, and Mark is responding in the markest possible way to losing an arse-nipping 58-minuter. this game; this match; these boys!
Trump 7-7 Williams
No matter: Judd pots the green next go, the frame ends after almost an hour, and both men leave the arena. They've earned a slash, I can tell youse.
Trump 6-7 Williams (77-46)
Mark gets a snooker but Judd escapes; Mark leaves the green and gets up to leave the arena; somehow, Judd misses it.
Trump 6-7 Williams (77-46)
Another glorious safety from Judd, white stuck to pink; Mark misses again and now needs two snookers but is in another. He hits, but this frame feels over.
Trump 6-7 Williams (73-46)
This has been a great period for Judd, who pots the red long to the yellow pocket then lays a snooker behind the pink; Mark plays a ludicrous screw-shot off the side, almost pots the yellow - what an effort! - but he leaves it for Judd who plays yet another snooker, white behind brown and black, green near the side. He's taken control of this frame and when Mark foul-misses twice, he's in danger of losing the frame. He misses a third time but no miss is called, and now needs a snooker himself to win the frame.
Trump 6-7 Williams (58-46)
Goodness me what a frame this is, the red now back close to the top cushion and black back in play. There's a bit more of a target for snookers in baulk now but Judd gets one up the other end and mark hits second time, last roll. We're at 42 minutes now and there's more to come - this is so so good, the delicate safeties being exchanged beautiful. But when Mark finds a snooker, behind the yellow on the baulk cushion, might this be a key moment? No! Judd hits well and gets the snooker back, Mark missing with his swerve! Then he misses again and the penalty points are starting to count now, especially given the pink's on the side cushion; Mark hits, then finds himself snookered again; this time he hits first go.
Trump 6-7 Williams (46-46)
A bit of red-ruffling, then Mark brings one out and Judd pots it. This is a serious frame (of snooker) is this, this is, is this, Judd laying a snooker and Mark landing onto the object ball very nicely. The longer this goes, the bigger it is - especially if Mark pinches it.
Trump 6-7 Williams (45-46)
Aiming to catch an outer one thin, Judd foul-misses twice so is warned that any repetition and he forfeits the frame. So he makes sure to hit, knocking black safe in the process but leaving a axing red to the yellow pocket ... that Mark wobbles in. Blue follows, and Mark develops a red in the process of potting it, but he misses to left-middle then Judd doubles it home. He has a choice of colours for next, opting for brown with rest to try and disturb the final two reds; he doesn't get close.
Trump 6-7 Williams (40-32)
The reds have all been gathered into a cluster under the black; Mark misses a pair of thin cuts, but doesn't leave a free ball ... then get a gorgeously thin contact that Judd can't replicate. There's no shame in that: few can caress a snooker ball like TWPM, a point he underlines coaxing home a delicate starter and black. He soon, though runs out of position, so rather than try and disturb a red, he makes he pots the black to get the points, then plays a good safety, the four remaining reds in a rough line close to or on the top rail.
Trump 6-7 Williams (32-16)
Ah there. A poor blue leads Judd to miss a red to left corner, and if Mark can make something of this opportunity he'll be in a great position. Sat in his seat, TAITP looks rueful, and well he might; Mark is so confident out there because, as we were saying this afternoon he knows he's playing well, whereas Judd's confidence is more brittle. And yet, as I type that, he misses a brown you expect him to sink ...but Judd can't cushion home a starter along the top rail. Another chance for Mark, who's playing well enough to take it ... but he can't, missing to left-middle! Scary hours out there!
Trump 6-7 Williams (21-2)
Mark fouls looking for a thin contact, then Judd misses a red along black cush with no penalty. And it's still Mark playing the better snooker, potting a fine red when stick in awkward position ... only to take on a big blue when he didn't need to, doing extremely well to see it cannon what would otherwise have been a pottable red. But there's a more difficult one available and he drains it well, diagonally to left corner having not bagged in nearly half an hour. The reds aren't beautifully arranged, but there are points out there.
Trump 6-7 Williams (4-1)
Judd gets close taking on one to right corner; Mark can't clean it up with the rest, then goes in-off without leaving anything. Mark
Trump 6-7 Williams (0-1)
So far, this match has been everything we want it to be, but has momentum shifted decisively? Judd catches a safety way too thick, Mark chips a starter to left corner, and sat on the cushion, toes tippied, cues over a red to get at the black ... before changing his mind and playing safe. Now he's in control he won't want to give away anything easy, and Judd almost goes in-off playing another poor safety. Mark can't, though bag to left-middle, but gets a good white and off we go again. The crowd are really behind him.
Trump 6-7 Williams
For the first time since the first frame, Mark hits the front. He's looking good but, well - this game.
Trump 6-6 Williams (17-54)
Judd goes at a long one and misses, then catches an attempted safety thick, allowing Mark to cut crisply into left corner. He takes pink next, another red, and with he table now looking more open, he may well clinch the frame at this visit. He's getting stronger as Judd has weakened slightly.
Trump 6-6 Williams (17-39)
The reds weren't great as I said and Mark's approaching the tricky balls. There are four very close or close to black cush and two stick together - he needs to do something next shot, but audibly inhales when he's too straight on the pink to do anything with the white. That means a red needs cutting in from left side to right corner and a visionary in the crowd cheers, but it always looked like it was missing. He covers the only pottable red with the blue, though, so no harm done.
Trump 6-6 Williams (17-12)
An excellent right-hander keeps the run going, but after cannoning the pack, Judd cannons a red that sends a line of others to block routes into left corner. That's end of break, and a short safety next shot offers Mark a chance to left corner that he grateful accepts. His long-potting has been really good all match - he's at 79% now - and from 4-1 down has won five of the last seven frames.
Trump 6-6 Williams (6-0)
Judd starts the final session with a fine red to right corner, adds a brown, and the balls are already nicely spread. There's the chance of a decent contribution here.
We go again!
Bring it on, best of seven for the trophy.
Trump 6-6 Williams
Mark cleared those up as calmly as we'd expect him to, and going into the interval, we're level again. I've not a clue who's going to win but can't wait to find out.
Trump 6-5 Williams (8-62)
This is excellent from Mark who, as Dave says, was bigging himself up before the Ronnie match, which he rarely does. Judd will be rueing the terrific plant for which he received no reward, but if he loses tonight, that lose double in the last frame might be the turning point.
Trump 6-5 Williams (8-28)
OH THIS GAME! Judd spots a plant and splatters it home, sending reds everywhere ... only for the red to block the green from being potted! Judd will do well to fathom a decent safety shot out of this - he does enough - then takes on one to left corner, misses, and Mark guides a pearler home to the same bag. This is hotting up now, and Mark eases onto the black, a match-levelling break in mind - and in prospect.
Trump 6-5 Williams (7-16)
After some deliberation, Mark takes black to green pocket. Yellow was a better angle to get onto the next red but he wanted the big lad back on his spot. Problem is, each pot is now a recovery and when he's forced to take on a blue to keep the run going, he misses it by a way and hands the chance right back ... but not for long because Judd plays a poor yellow then misses his second red. We're back playing safety.
Trump 6-5 Williams (4-8)
A decent safety from Judd forces Mark to play off the side and into the bunch; he hits second time. And what is that?! Mark absolutely nails a long red to left corner, then cracks the pink right into the leather. He leaves himself a nasty cut-back red though, takes it well at pace ... and wonders for a second if the black is going into the green pocket. It doesn't and the crowd go wild!
Trump 6-5 Williams
A run of 80 narrows the gap to one again - but Mark needs a streak, not singles.
Trump 6-4 Williams (10-78)
Mark plays to double the final red - Neal had previously called it in a good position for such - and sees it away. That's almost poetic, given the slight recklessness of Judd's which got this break going.
Trump 6-4 Williams (10-70)
Mark despatches the easy balls easily and won't necessarily need some of the harder ones - there's a red on the side and another on the top. By the time he addresses the first, Judd needs two snookers ... and Mark sends it down to left corner easily enough.
Trump 6-4 Williams (10-28)
Mark misses one to left-middle then takes on a longun to the green pocket and misses that too. He gets away with both, then Judd attempts a double, also misses, the red cannons the green and waits to be sent down. I'm semi-surprised he took that on - semi because I'd just been wondering if he was losing patience. Anyhow, Mark is now in, and will know that he mustn't spurn this opportunity.
Trump 6-4 Williams (10-0)
Mark again plays to leave the white up the table, and Judd finds a tight red he can send to right-middle, without apparent thought as to what colour he might pot. He grins to himself, then sends the brown up the table feart of leaving a long pot on.
Trump 6-4 Williams (9-0)
A ropey safety from Mark tempts Judd into sending one long to the green pocket ... and he does so superbly. Off the black, though, he doesn't get onto a second red; in co-comms, Neal thinks he played it a little safely, perhaps wary of Mark's long-potting, but he then plays a really good safety, off the pack, white nailed to the baulk cushion and reds everywhere; Mark then leaves one to left corner, and will Judd take on a pink with awkward bridging which needs going long to the green pocket? He mooches about the table, seeing if he can squanty out a safe place for the cue-ball, then goes down the table off the yellow. Good shot.
Trump 6-4 Williams
Judd gets the next red, and it's hard to see him playing badly enough or Mark playing quite well enough to win frames at the rate he'll need to.
Trump 5-4 Williams (67-0)
More excellence from Judd - if he doesn't get nervy, he's going to be almost impossible to beat tonight because he's suddenly found some form. He does, though, need to develop more reds from what's left of the cluster, and he's looking to the heavens after running a little far. He sinks the next red with the rest anyhow, but because of the previous error he runs out of position needing just a colour for the frame. So it's in behind the yellow, a snooker from which Mark escapes but which also yields the frame-ball Judd needs. Needing two snookers, Mark plays on.
Trump 5-4 Williams (22-0)
Judd goes at a red to left corner and misses, but he knew he'd not leave owt. And what a pot he finds to get away in the frame, a red oozed diagonally to right corner. If he's knocking those in, he's a real problem, and he quickly gets to work accumulating.
Trump 5-4 Williams
The start Mark needed, to get himself going and to put a bit of doubt into Judd's mind.
Trump 5-3 Williams (8-81)
Mark creams a red into right corner and he's away with the frame now. He's played nicely so far this evening.
Trump 5-3 Williams (8-67)
53 in front, Mark finds his only red is one sent long to the yellow pocket, and he bags it beautifully; he's so good at those pots. But he runs out of position shortly afterwards, snookering himself on the reds behind the pink. He plays off the side, into the cluster, and leaves at least one. But Judd doesn't take it on because he needs blacks to tie, knocking a red onto the top cushion in the process of playing safe. It'll take something good for him to earn a respot from here.
Trump 5-3 Williams (8-45)
Judd plays off two cushions and misses his chosen red by fibres, then he goes again but from the other side and off three cushions; I'm not sure why he did that because he was so close last time - all he had to do was play the same shot but a touch harder. And the call costs him - he misses again, leaving a simple starter, and given the way the reds are, this could well mean the fram.e
Trump 5-3 Williams (8-21)
With the rest, Mark fails to pot a red cleanly, catching black instead of settling in behind. So he has to slide it along the top rail, but sends it into the cushion too soon; can Judd resolve the loose red? Oh yes he can, clunking confidently to left corner, but off the black he cannons the blue, meaning end of break. It's now a let-off apiece in this frame, and Mark looks to capitalise on his, creaming home a long starter before nuzzling up against the yellow.
Trump 5-3 Williams (0-11)
It's 13 years since we got a decider in the Masters final, but before we think about that, a question: can Judd improve his break-off shot? Er, yes and no: this is far from his worst, but Mark still sticks an opener into right corner, follows it with a blue, and gets to work.
Baize, boyzed
Here we go!
The first frame of the evening will be huge
Yes, I know that's very first goal is crucial, first hour is crucial stating the obvious, but if Judd gets three in front, it's a huge ask for Mark to win seven before he can four.
Go on Marcel
This afternoon
Was a great session (of snooker). We didn't quite get to the semi-mythical point of both players playing well simultaneously, but both played really well at points. My guess is that Mark can improve more because he was a way off his best recent form, whereas Judd played better than in tiiiiiime. If he improves again tonight, he wins, because he can hit a standard beyond that of his opponent, but I don't think he's likely to find that here.
This has the feel of an epic
Please lads, let me be exhausted tomorrow.
We go again!
That's us done for the afternoon
Join me again at 6.45pm GMT for the staggering denouement!
Trump 5-3 Williams
There's a potential 139 out there but as I type that, Judd misses the blue. He won't mind, though, and this is, I imagine, a rare situation in which both players would've taken the interval score. Judd's looking good, it must be said, while Mark hasn't played as well as he can or anywhere near. There are, though, few if any better than him under pressure, so he'll still fancy his chances of getting it done tonight.
Trump 4-3 Williams (63-0)
Judd goes into the reds a third time, and this is a very nice run - this is still the best I've seen him play this week and of late.
Trump 4-3 Williams (42-0)
Mark takes on a double when he really didn't need to, leaving a start for Judd, who picks off loose reds - but he'll need to do something with the pack early doors, and doesn't have much angle off the blue to make it happen. Here we go, and he comes off two cushions, liberates a few balls ... but where's the stray red going?! It takes a tour of theleft-middle lip ... and stays out. Judd's in decent shape to secure an interval advantage.
Trump 4-3 Williams (4-0)
A felicitous kiss on the yellow snookers Mark with the brown rather than leaving him a red; Judd will feel he earned that luck in the last frame. Anyhow, Mark misses his first go but hits well on his second, and the red I mentioned earlier, dangling out nearish right corner, is soon made safe meaning more safety play.
Trump 4-3 Williams
Very quickly, the players agree to a re-rack.
Trump 4-3 Williams
Though he got lucky with the fluke, this is another really good frame from TWPM and, though he'll want to win the last of the sesh to level the match, would've taken 5-3 at 4-1 down. This has been a jazzer of an afternoon.
Trump 4-2 Williams (6-68)
Judd plays a poor safety in response, Mark takes on a red to left-middle, misses it by miles and clips the brown, then sees it disappear into the yellow pocket.That is a majestic fluke - this game! - and the run of the balls, as well as the run of play, might just have switched. In the meantime, Mark plays safe, knocking a red safe, and is 62 in front with 59 left.
Trump 4-2 Williams (6-60)
A sumptuous pink from Mark, cueing across the table from the side and with the world on if he missed, means he's still in good shape. Another red means he's 54 in front with 67 left and looking to see if he's on a colour, makes a barfing sound before, eventually, playing safe off the brown and knocking it safe.
Trump 4-2 Williams (6-52)
A fine cut-back black opens more reds, and this is looking a lot like Mark's frame. He's taken these beautifully so far, but will probably need one more pack-ruffle to secure things.
Trump 4-2 Williams (6-16)
I daresay that during the break, Judd will be working on his break-off; he plays his best one of the match to get us away in frame six and still almost leaves one. But he doesn't and when Mark plays a containing safety, he sends a fantastic pot into the green pocket ... only to jaws his second red with he rest. Can Mark capitalise? Well, he takes a while to think, survey and measure, then knocks a far-from-easy plant into left corner - those balls were absolutely not in line. And he's on the black too, with loose reds available; has momentum shifted?
Trump 4-2 Williams
A ton for Mark and I'm already buzzing for the evening sesh with two frames of the afternoon to play. TWPM needs to nab at least one, but I imagine the neutrals among us are keen for him to take both.
Trump 4-1 Williams (0-71)
Mark has to work hard for these, never quite where he wants to be, but he's nearly over the line and assessing a plant, opts instead for a finer cut to right corner. He's left himself a nasty black and with the rest too, high above it and straighter than ideal. But he pokes home well, an this is going to be 4-2.
Trump 4-1 Williams (0-48)
Judd takes one on to left corner, misses, and Mark deposits a nice one into left-middle. That was pressure and he handled it superbly; he should close out the frame from here.
Trump 4-1 Williams (0-40)
Oh, Mark! It's just not going for him at the moment and when he goes into the pack again, he gets on nothing easy, takes on a pressure-pot to the yellow pocket, and misses it into the near knuckle by a way. So we're back playing safety, with plenty of points left on the table.
Trump 4-1 Williams (0-24)
Since starting the match with that 138, Mark hasn't even made a 30, which is very odd. But he's a decent chance now, knucking in a starter with a favourable kiss allowing him to sink the black with the rest. There a re a few loose reds, and he ruffles pack off black to liberate a few more. he'll have to go again, but at worst, he's got a decent chance to rack up a healthy lead in the frame.
Trump 4-1 Williams
A run of 73, which began when Judd took on a long red to avoid the foul which would've forfeited the frame, and Judd is buzzing. He can't be behind at the start of the second session and has a really good chance of being in front.
Trump 3-1 Williams (58-35)
This is terrific stuff from Judd and very bad news for Mark who, failing something surprising will soon be 4-1 down. Should that happen her must, you'd think, take two of the three remaining frames this afternoon to have a decent chance of bringing it home tonight.
Trump 3-1 Williams (5-35)
Responding to Mark's safety, Judd eschews a loose red and catches pink off side cushion - we've seen that a lot this week - then again, and Mark now has a handy lead of 35. So will Judd do as Mark did in the frame before the break, averting potential loss of the frame by taking on a long pot? Yes he does, and like Mark he sees it away superbly; things are going for him here.
Trump 3-1 Williams (0-23)
Mark badly needs this next frame and again, Judd errs off the break, leaving white little lower than the blue spot and a red to left corner. Mark drains it, off the knuckle, and moves up the table to start accumulating. During the interval, Angles noted some tension as Mark took on his pressure pots - head moving and off-line - and have a look! He misses a black, but then Judd cues across a starter to left corner and looks accusingly at his tip. So Mark gets away with a fine red, coming at it from across the table, stuns in the yellow next and removes a lonely red in baulk. Ideal world, he now takes the black, just below the brown spot, and digs into the pack at the same time, but has he overrun it? No, but on the way up the table he catches the middle knuckle, so that's end of break. This is so tense.
We go again!
Trump 3-1 Williams
A 106, Judd's 30th Masters ton, puts him in control of this final; Mark needs to improve, and quickly. See you in 15!
Trump 2-1 Williams (80-16)
Judd is on the cusp of career century 888, and he's playing well - better than I've seen him in a while.
Trump 2-1 Williams (51-16)
Judd would've taken this position when Mark took the break with which he opened the match and turned it into a total clearance. He's slowly playing himself into form, while Mark has missed a few balls he was slotting earlier in the week; he's got a lot to think about in the mid-sesh which follows this frame.
Trump 2-1 Williams (10-16)
HAVE AN ABSOLUTE LOOK! Left tight to the bottom cushion, Mark foul-misses twice, so splatters it to left corner to avoid losing the frame ... then misses a thin cut with the yellow on the lip of left-middle! That is so unMark it's untrue, and the way the balls are, this could well we be 3-1!
Trump 2-1 Williams (1-15)
Judd tickles in a starter then plays a clever safety, cutting off half of the tale; Mark plays into the cluster then gets the next chance when left a dolly into right corner. He rolls it in from up the table, but catches it way too thick meaning he's not on the pink for which he played ... but is he on the black? He can probably just sneak between two reds for it, looks for a while, takes it on and drains it... but lands on nowt. That's a big missed opportunity ... except cueing towards the green pocket, Mark hammers a beauty long to the yellow ... and again lands on nowt. This time, he opts to get out while the going is average, dropping in behind the brown; Judd plays onto the pink, then hits a red underneath it with the final fibre of the final roll.
Trump 2-1 Williams
Judd's got away with one here, but he'll be heartened not only to take the frame nonetheless but to see Mark miss under pressure. Already, the next frame feels crucial.
Trump 1-1 Williams (43-11)
Judd misses a red to left-middle so his run ends with him 31 points in front; there are 75 points left. He knew when he took the shot on that the only ball he could leave was the one he attempted, and Mark misses a tricky one to the yellow pocket, standing over the table to make sure it runs beyond a pottable position; it does. Next go, he opens the pack with an attacking safety so the balls are there for him should he get in, and after Judd hammers a speculative one that's not that close, he leaves a long plant. But Mark goes at a different one, leaves various, and that should be the frame. Except a poor positional shot - he digs too hard into the white when draining a red at close range - means Judd's not on the black, he goes at a long blue rather than knock a colour safe ... and Mark can't capitalise, missing a starter to right corner! Surely Judd will sort this from here!
Trump 1-1 Williams (35-11)
Mark's going at everything here, and he misses a fine cut to right-middle, setting Judd away again in the process. In co-comms, Dom suggests that Lisowski's semi-final no-show wasn't helpful to his chances of winning here, and that makes a lot of sense, but Mark is such a great pro that you'd expect him to maintain equilibrium.
Trump 1-1 Williams (22-11)
Judd catches a black too thick so keeps the break going with a fine double - there's that recovery potting again - but going into the reds, he doesn't get enough pace on the white, meaning end of break. Already, this is a compelling, enrapturing match.
Trump 1-1 Williams (8-11)
Mark clips home another fine starter following another poor break-off from Judd, and again he's in the balls right away. But a strange choice of reds, one taken thin with the rest to left corner, means the white runs to baulk and a nasty brown to left-middle to keep the run going; he gets close but not close enough, so now Judd's at the table and about the black spot.
Trump 1-1 Williams
It took him a few visits, but Judd looks in decent touch here, and we could be in for an absolute treat today. Draw your curtains, turn off your phones, and settle in.
Trump 0-1 Williams (52-3)
Judd runs out of position with a handy lead but still a fair way from the frame, knocking a red safe with as he plays down the table. Mark then opts for a containing safety, keeping the red down the business end, Judd glides to left-middle, and he should get over the line at this visit.
Trump 0-1 Williams (35-3)
Yup, Mark takes one on off the aforementioned safety as a shot to nothing, almost pots it, and then gets in when Judd immediately makes another error. But cutting to left corner, the ball deviates slightly - Mark was sure it was in - and the pocket refuses to accept it. So another chance for Judd, and seeing this frame away would help fortify that good feeling he's been searching for these last few months.
Trump 0-1 Williams (19-0)
Judd is the best recovery potter I've ever seen and he drops in a mid-distance red but doesn't have much angle on the blue to get position on the next ball. No matter: he glides diagonally into right corner from on the side cushion, opening the pack in the process - and presumably that's the main reason he doesn't take on a colour, opting instead for a safety off the green.Both players look confident, but my guess is Judd's is a more fragile feeling.
Trump 0-1 Williams (7-0)
A poor safety shot from Judd leaves Mark a choice of long starters; he misses to red corner and gets lucky, the black covering the balls that would otherwise be available. So Judd tries a speculative plant to right corner, jawses it ... and it slides along the rail to drop into the opposite bag! The blue cuts to middle too, so he's away.
Trump 0-1 Williams
You bet there is! A total clearance of 138 - Mark currently sharers the highest break of143 with Hossein Vafaei - and he's into the match! His son Joel enjoyed that one, and what a feeling that must be, your kid watching you do your thing on the big stage. Amazing.
Trump 0-0 Williams (0-90)
Is there a ton out there?
Trump 0-0 Williams (0-77)
Relaxedly relentless, Mark finds a fine recovery to middle to keep the run going, but will need to break open what's left of the pack to win the frame at this visit and doesn't have much angle on the black so to do ... except the top red actually goes, so he screws up to it off the black, drains it, and Judd needs a snooker ... two snookers, because the black's gone down, and what a start this is for Mark J.
Trump 0-0 Williams (0-29)
We've seen that one before! Off the break, Mark slots a long red, and is quickly about the black spot accumulating. He looks just as good as he did on Friday.
Off we go!
The boyz baize!
Let's have it!
Head to head
Judd leads 10-5, and has won the last three. But Mark hadn't beaten Ronnie in nine years, he was just playing so well he sorted it this time.
Judd's also happy
To have scraped through and have the chance of winning. Because he's not playing well, he feels that maybe he's under a bit less pressure to win, and beating Ronnie 10-4 to win this pot in 2019 was his best final performance, save the 18-9 against John Higgins that won the world title.
Mark's delighted to be involved in the final
In 1998, he famously beat Stephen Hendry on a respotted black, and says he can never forget it because he sees it on social media all the time. He's not too fussed that this is a triple crown event - "any trophy is brilliant" - yeah alright Mark - and more candidly, he says that at his age its not really about the trophy, it's about the £250,000 cheque.
So what's going to happen?
On the face of things, this looks fairly clear: Mark J Williams wins handily. He's been brilliant this week, beating Dave Glbert handily while playing almost perfect snooker for four frames, wearing the best of Ronnie O'Sullivan before nicking a decider, then absolutely tumping Jack Lisowski. Or, put another way, we've got an all-time great player playing pretty much as well as he ever has.
And yet, Judd Trump, who's somehow struggled through to this stage, is the favourite; why? Well because he's one of the most electric talents we've ever seen, whose performance in winning his first world title is up there with the best we've ever seen, in any sport. Sometimes, the ludicrous pyrotechnics obscure just remorseless spirit that's just as important in making him the player that he is, but Mark J will know that even if he maintains his level, he might still lose. This is going to be good...
Hello!
And welcome to the final of the 2023 Masters!
Sixteen has been whittled down to two, and what a duo it is as Judd Trump and Mark Williams face off over two sessions for the right to be crowned Masters champion 2023.
Trump has not been at his best this week, but edged out Ryan Day and Barry Hawkins in deciders before a flattering 6-1 win over Stuart Bingham to book his place in the final.
Williams, in contrast, has looked impressive in reaching his first Masters final in 20 years.
A thrilling 6-5 win over Ronnie O’Sullvan was the highlight for the Welshman. He backed it up with a mauling of Jack Lisowski, and is happy with his form.
Trump feels his form is bubbling under the surface, as he said: “I feel like people have been a little bit more critical than probably I deserve.
“There’s a lot of big tournaments I've been doing well. Three 147s, stuff like that.
“It's not like I've been terrible, it's just the fact that the five and six events make it look like I've been playing badly. But no, I feel like my game is there."
Williams confident heading into Ally Pally final
“I think I played really good,” Williams said. “It was a different kind of game. "The three or four breaks I had in the 50s, 60s and 70s were as good as any century I had.
“It’s not all about centuries because I’m not going to outpot Jack, or outscore him because he’s one of the best in our game.
“I’ve got to do it other ways like O’Sullivan did to me in the first three frames [of the quarter-finals]. I thought my safety was really good and I had him under pressure.”
All the action
The final is played out over two sessions, and we will have all the action from 12:45pm.
The Masters Sunday schedule
13:00
- Mark Williams v Judd Trump
19:00
- Mark Williams v Judd Trump
- -
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