The Masters semi-finals recap - Judd Trump beats Stuart Bingham for place in final against Mark Williams

ByEurosport

Updated 14/01/2023 at 22:49 GMT

Welcome back to Eurosport's live coverage of the 2023 Masters as we have reached semi-final day! We have an absolutely cracking line-up with three former world champions all in action. First up Mark Williams takes on Jack Lisowski beore the late game sees Judd Trump face off against Stuart Bingham. As a reminder these games will be played as a best of 11.

'Correction' - Referee Leo Scullion 'goes a little early' as he makes Masters mistake

That's us

It'll be Judd Trump against Mark Williams in tomorrow's final. Can they possibly give us a condensed version of their incredible semi-final at the World Championship last May? We'll be back from 12.45pm BST tomorrow to find out.

The Masters

O’Sullivan draws Williams or Ding, Trump takes on Wilson in The Masters first round

03/12/2023 at 14:58

Night night!

Judd Trump is in the final

What a slog that was! The 6-1 scoreline would indicate a hiding, but it wasn't so; Judd's grit and determination ensured he landed butter side up in some very, very close frames. He won't be thrilled at how he played there, but he'll be ecstatic to be in the final. Stuart had his chances there, but if you don't take them at this level, the other player eventually will.

Trump 6-1 Bingham

Judd gets four back from a nice snooker of his own, and when Stuart escapes at the second attempt he leaves the yellow on. Everything Judd needs is in the open, and he clears the baulk colours before missing the blue. Stuart has seen enough, and folds it; Judd is in the Masters final!

Trump 5-1 Bingham (59-41)

A huge cheer goes up as Judd glides a red long into the bottom right. Stuart needs a snooker, and Judd can't convert the green thereafter so we're not stopping here. Stuart then lands a snooker behind the black; it's a beauty, and Judd's two cushion escape fails as he catches green first! The frame's back on, and Stuart dumps Judd in another brutal snooker behind the green. That draw's another eight points and a free ball - it's all happening here!

Trump 5-1 Bingham (58-29)

Judd misses two decent looks at frame ball red, while Stuart misses a cut back on the final cherry and flukes a snooker. Bless this mess! Judd then rattles a third attempt out of the jaws of the bottom left and on it goes. You get the sense he'll need to fall over the line here.

Trump 5-1 Bingham (58-29)

Stuart is digging deep here. Any shot could be his last, and he mops up to the final red before rattling a tough cut out of the jaws of the bottom right. It's gone safe but, once again, the frame is in the balance at the denouement and we're into a safety exchange.

Trump 5-1 Bingham (58-0)

It's another heart-in-mouth moment for Judd as the blue uses all of the lip to drop in to the right middle, as he reaches his half-century. He's only a few balls away, but have a look at this - he's overcut a red to bottom right and Stuart gets a huge reprieve! Judd only needed the pink to follow, and he's missed another bad one there.

Trump 5-1 Bingham (22-0)

This is a mountain for Bingham now, and a wild miss of a long red at the start of frame seven hands an immediate chance to Judd. What a strange match this has been; Judd has a huge lead, but there have been so many close frames in there, settled late. He's had to work as hard here as he did against Ryan Day and Barry Hawkins. In this frame, he's more rhythmic so far as his break reaches 22 and counting.

Trump 5-1 Bingham

It's a speedy 35-minute frame, as Judd drains the pink to end the argument in this one.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (73-52)

Judd drains the green after Stuart leaves it over the bottom left, and Stuart now requires two four point snookers to tie. Stuart has no option but to pot the brown when Judd leaves it in the jaws of the yellow pocket, and then accidentally pots the blue into the same bag on his next shot! He can't believe it, and not only that, he's knocked the black safe. This looks impossible now, but Stuart's pressing on with it.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (70-43)

Stuart picks off red-pink, but can't land a snooker on the yellow. Eventually Judd leaves him no option but to pot it, so we're down to the final five balls. They're well spread out, but not easy to get behind. Stuart is more than handy in these situations though, and will have a good go at it.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (70-34)

A beauty of a snooker from Judd, behind the black with the two reds in the wide open, makes him favourite for the frame. Stuart escapes, but leaves both on to the yellow pocket. Strangely, Judd takes on the tougher of the two and misses it; that's such a bizarre shot from him. We go almost nine minutes without a pot, before Judd finally drains one red into the bottom left. Frame ball green follows, but he can't convert the final red to put a pin in this frame. Stuart needs one snooker, on we go!

Trump 4-1 Bingham (66-34)

Judd drops in behind frame ball red, and takes it down the rail to the bottom right with the rest. It's close, but it rattles out. Once more, we're into a safety exchange on the final two reds and Judd chucks four Stuart's way as he misses a thin contact safety.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (58-30)

Stuart leaves himself awkward on a red to right middle, and it rolls off the knuckles and lands over the yellow pocket. It should be a tap-in, but Judd amazingly misses it! He's gone right off the boil suddenly. Stuart then misses a tough cut on a red to left middle, and it's a reprieve for Judd as he gets his hand back on the table.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (50-23)

Crikey. Judd almost misses a red to bottom left, wobbling it furiously before it drops, but composes himself to reach a half-century off the black. Out of nowhere, he then misses his next red, just as the frame looked certain to be put away. That was a poor few shots by Judd, who seemed to lose focus a little there. Stuart fires back, red to bottom left, and should get right back into this frame. Judd's saving grace is that two reds are adjacent to cushions.

Trump 4-1 Bingham (20-0)

It'll be interesting to see what effect that frame has on both players. Stuart misses a mid-range red to bottom left at the start of frame five, and it's served up a chance. After his opening red Judd is quickly into the pack off the blue, and the split is near perfect. This is a huge chance to move within one of the final.

Trump 4-1 Bingham

Judd nicks it! He finally gets a look at a long-ish blue to bottom left, drains it and a nice kiss on the pink leaves it on to left middle! Judd drops it in, and the black which is over the bottom left, and he's won an epic frame to extend his lead!

Trump 3-1 Bingham (46-54)

What a fluke, surely?! Stuart doubles the green into the yellow pocket, a full-length shot, and follows it up with the brown. He needs blue and pink, but he's not on the former. we're about 40 minutes into this one, and it could turn this whole match one way or the other.

Trump 3-1 Bingham (46-47)

Judd finds a beauty of a snooker in behind the green, only for Stuart to land a deft escape, and then again after being tucked in behind the black. The crowd are loving this tactical stand-off. Judd has a look at a long pot at the yellow, but it doesn't go; there's no end in sight to this one, we've gone 15 minutes without a pot and the balls are in increasingly safe positions. Judd breaks the deadlock by dropping the yellow in...and snookers himself on the green!

Trump 3-1 Bingham (44-47)

An excellent snooker from Stuart, tight in behind the green, draws four before Judd fashions a three cushion escape. Stuart really takes charge with another canny effort behind the black, causing Judd to miss once and then go in-off. It's a costly stanza, but from the D Stuart can't send the yellow long into the bottom right. It goes safe, and this is a tense exchange.

Trump 3-1 Bingham (44-35)

Another poor safety from Stuart looks initially like it might cost him another frame, as he catches one of the reds too thick and leaves both in the middle of the table. The brown is tied up but Judd shifts it out in potting the last red, but can't land nicely on the yellow and misses a tough cut on it with the rest. Once more, six huge colours coming up.

Trump 3-1 Bingham (29-35)

Judd splits three reds below the pink, but he's not landed nicely on any of them. He takes one with the rest to the bottom left, a wriggling thin cut, but he's landed awkward in baulk off it and lays a snooker rather than attempt a tough yellow. Stuart drops in a red, with no colour attached, and we're into another crucial safety exchange on the last two reds.

Trump 3-1 Bingham (18-34)

Stuart mockingly wipes his brow as a red uses all of the bottom left to drop in. He'll not find this chucklesome however, as he misses a black off its spot to bring his break clanging to a halt on 33. That's one routine miss each, and Stuart might may more heavily for it as Judd gets back in with a long red to the green pocket.

Trump 3-1 Bingham (17-1)

We're back, and Stuart flukes a plant into the bottom right from distance before missing the brown to left middle. That was straight, and that is a poor shot. Judd has a chance to punish, but it goes awry on 17 as he misses a routine pink to right middle high on the knuckle. My oh my, that's a shocker, and he's served up a chance for Stuart.

Trump 3-1 Bingham

We had a bit of a technical issue there folks as the feed went down, but to get you up to speed, Stuart went in-off when trying to pot the green and Judd mopped up to take the frame. That's the interval, and Trump restores his two frame lead.

We'll be back in 15 minutes.

Trump 2-1 Bingham (60-52)

Stuart lands a handy snooker, and Judd gives it a wallop and hits the blue first. Judd escapes at the second attempt, and Stuart then gets the yellow down; he's behind, but controlling this exchange, even more so when he flukes his way out of a snooker and lands safe.

Trump 2-1 Bingham (60-45)

Hello. Stuart crunches in a red from distance, and he's on the black. Yellow and black are currently safe, but he can get right back into this here. He picks off the five reds with colours, and off the black from the final one he tries to shift the green off the cushion and land on the yellow. It doesn't connect, so a safety follows; these are six huge balls coming up.

Trump 2-1 Bingham (60-0)

It's 59 for Judd as he pots the black and goes into the pack; it could decide the frame, but Judd sticks to a red and he's on nothing. What a touch that is for Stuart, but it could be trouble now as a poor safety from him leaves a red over the bottom right. Judd gobbles it up, but has no angle on the blue to get on his next red, so opts to put the green safe.

Trump 2-1 Bingham (37-0)

There's a cracking pace and quality to this match, and Judd gets huge cheers as he glides in a long red and comes back up for the brown. He's absolutely on one again, registering 37 and counting within minutes. There's plenty left on out there as well; what a standard we've got here, these frames are flying by.

Trump 2-1 Bingham

Stuart quickly registers a half-century, and the final red with a pink leaves Judd needing a snooker. A nice yellow into the right middle puts it beyond doubt, and Stuart cracks on to clear the table, jokingly pointing to where the white will land after going around the angles off the pink. It's a superb 93, and he's on the board.

Trump 2-0 Bingham (38-31)

Well now, the whack is not compliant! Judd only lands a glancing blow on the pack, which leaves a thin cut to right middle and he's missed it. What a chance he's served up for Stuart. It's only early of course, but you sense Stuart could do with converting this given how Trump's playing. He duly sets about doing just that.

Trump 2-0 Bingham (30-0)

Judd breaks off in the third frame, leaving Stuart a tempter to the bottom left. It's just off-straight but Stuart catches it straight, and he's left another big chance for Judd. The scoreboard is ticking over quickly again, as Judd gets to 30 in a blink; one compliant whack of the pack here could see another frame disappear.

Trump 2-0 Bingham

He looks in the mood tonight alright. The frame is quickly put to bed as Judd kicks on and makes 87 to extend his lead.It's an impressive start.

Trump 1-0 Bingham (60-16)

Judd's motoring here, but a trip into the remaining pack off the blue leaves only a tough cut on a red to left middle. He guides it in superbly, and registers another half-century and counting.

Trump 1-0 Bingham (22-16)

Stuart's away first in frame two with a mid-range red to the bottom left. He's ticking along nicely on 16, but freakishly sends the white in-off like a pinball, bouncing off various reds and landing in the bottom left. That's handed Judd a chance that he's not hanging about taking; he looks sharp so far.

Trump 1-0 Bingham

Close! Judd almost goes in-off as he pots the green thin, which would have handed the frame away. As it is, he clears up to the pink and we're all done here.

Trump 0-0 Bingham (69-42)

Judd launches the yellow in, a sensational pot, and it's back to two snookers needed. The balls are set nicely for them, so Ball-run will have a shy at this. Again, he claws four back after a crafty one lands Judd behind the pink and he can't clip the green. We go on.

Trump 0-0 Bingham (67-38)

Stuart gets to the final red, and needs to take it with the brown and get back down the table for a high value colour. The pot's way off though, and Judd picks off the final red to leave Stuart needing two snookers. He gets one immediately after trapping Judd behind the black; can he wangle another?

Trump 0-0 Bingham (66-22)

Forced into taking a red long to the yellow pocket, Judd rattles it out of the jaws and we've still got a live one. Stuart then misses the same shot, before Judd misses an equivalent to the green pocket. That's a whole lot of rattlin'! It's left Stuart a chance too, and he's back in. This is a dangerous table, and there's a dish on here.

Trump 0-0 Bingham (50-14)

Judd tries to develop the remaining pack off the black, but bends the white right around them and seems to be on nothing...until he drains a superb narrow red mid-range to the bottom right! He keeps on chugging, his break now on 42, and he's looking good to take the frame out at this visit.

Trump 0-0 Bingham (8-14)

It's an immediate chance for Judd as Stuart leaves a red over the bottom right from a cross double safety. Judd drains it, and despite being tight on the cushion he follows it up with a nerveless deadweight black. That'll be all for now though, as he overcuts a red to bottom left and he's left a chance. Stuart only makes 14 though, before overcutting a red with the spider after a trip into the pack doesn't work out. It's another chance for Judd.

Here we go

Rob Walker baizes the boys, and we're ready to go. It's first to six for a place in the final.

Ball-run

Stuart is fresh from his daughter's sixth birthday party this afternoon, and looking to land the Masters for the second time. He's played well this week - Kyren Wilson copped it first, before Shaun Murphy was thrashed yesterday evening.

Juddernaut

He's been to the brink twice this week, beating Ryan Day and then Barry Hawkins in deciders to reach the last four. Judd hasn't won a Triple Crown event since his stunning victory at the 2019 World Championship; can he kick on here and land another big one?

Welcome back!

So we’ve got Mark J Williams in the final, who is going to be joining them? One of Judd Trump or Stuart Bingham, that's who, and they'll be on the baize shortly.

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That's us for the afternoon

Join us again from 6.45pm for a bit of Judd Trump versus Stuart Bingham.

Mark Williams is through to the final

In his interview with Rob Walker after the match, Mark admits that Jack struggled today. In truth Mark didn't play great either, but was ruthless when he had to be. In a charming interview after the match, Mark's young son Joel joins him and whips up a big cheer from the crowd, who were electric this afternoon. It was a rough afternoon for Jack, who'll need to put this out of his mind and focus on the next tournament instead.

Williams 6-0 Lisowski

It's over. A poor safety from Jack leaves the brown on to the green pocket. Mark needs to clear to the pink and calmly does so; he's back in the Masters final for the first time in two decades!

Williams 5-0 Lisowski (29-36)

Mark clips in one of the three remaining reds, but can't move either of the final two reds off the pink. Safety ensues, before Jack misses a red long to the green pocket and leaves it on to the yellow bag. Mark picks it off and lays a snooker on the final red; this is scrappy, Saturday-afternoon-at-the-club stuff. Eventually though Mark leaves the red on to the yellow pocket, and Jack picks it off - can he clear to the blue and get on the board here? The answer is no, because he loses position on the brown. What an agonising day for him, but he can still take this frame if he can get back in.

Williams 5-0 Lisowski (21-28)

This is admirable composure from Jack given how his afternoon's gone so far. He starts cobbling points together - including bagging two reds in one shot, but another poor decision on a positional shot sees him play a needless canon on the black that doesn't work out, and he's not on his next red. Dominic Dale in co-comms can't believe it, because the frame was on sans such a risk

Williams 5-0 Lisowski (21-13)

Jack starts stitching a break together, but in going into the pack off the blue he sends a red flying into the bottom right. He is, as they say, having one out there. Mark can only counter with five though before losing position. It's been a messy frame up until now, and Mark soon serves Jack another chance as he misses a red to the right middle.

Williams 5-0 Lisowski (11-0)

Almost in desperation, Jack tries to launch a red long into the bottom right. It'd have a high tariff of difficulty if you were flying, but Jack isn't and it misses by a wide margin. He's left Mark a choice of reds here, and he'll be worried that he's played his last shot today. Alternatively, he might just be happy to get out of there. Here's a turn up though; Mark falters on 11 and leaves Jack in!

Williams 5-0 Lisowski

All aboard the showboat as Mark, frame in the bank, thin cuts a sensational red down the rail and into the bottom right. A total of 68 puts the frame to sleep, and Mark is just one away from tomorrow's final.

Williams 4-0 Lisowski (57-1)

In his chair, Jack has the thousand yard stare going on. At the baize, Mark is calmly compiling a frame-winning haul. His break reaches 48, and a red-clour will do it from here. Said combination arrives, and it's red-pink; he's on the insurance red too, and this frame is over.

Williams 4-0 Lisowski (17-1)

Mark misses a bash at a long red, and he's left it over the right middle. Jack clips it in, but then misses a yellow to the same bag. That was virtually straight; what a horrible day this is for him so far. Mark just about wriggles a red into the left middle in response, and after a few wobblers he gets his break under control. He's under no pressure here, and he's getting the run of the balls too.

Williams 4-0 Lisowski (2-0)

We're back, and you've got to think that Jack needs to win this frame to stand any chance in this match. Mark is in first with a red long to the bottom right, but he can't force position on the black. Jack then misses a mid-range red thick once more, but isn't punished as Mark picks off a red but fails to hold for the pink.

Williams 4-0 Lisowski

Mark needs up to and including the blue, and makes it look a walk in the park. He clears up to the pink, and it's a whitewashed mini-session. Jack will not want to see a highlights montage of that one.

We'll be back with you in 15 minutes.

Williams 3-0 Lisowski (43-43)

One sloppy positional shot from Jack leaves the frame in the balance, as he fails to screw past two reds off the black and lands on nothing. the frame was at his mercy there, what a let off for Mark. After a few safety shots Mark drains one of the three remaining reds and then tucks Jack in behind the yellow. Jack just about escapes without leaving anything; this is a huge moment in the match, right before the interval. Mark drains another red after a poor safety from Jack, followed by the blue, and he's on the final red. Jack is in serious bother now.

Williams 3-0 Lisowski (36-27)

Mark leaves himself a tough red to the left middle, and he's rolled it out off the knuckles to end his break abruptly. This is a massive visit for Jack, who has a load of points on here. A big visit feels essential if we're to have a serious contest this afternoon. He's ticking along nicely; five reds remain, although two are adjacent to cushions.

Williams 3-0 Lisowski (21-0)

Mark picks off the first red of frame four, but can't turn it into a frame-winning chance as he misses a thin blue to the right middle. He gets another go immediately though as Jack misses another red by catching it thick, and brings the black into play alongside leaving Mark an easy one to get going. It's been a horrible mini-session for him, and he watches from his chair as Mark starts piling up the points again.

Williams 3-0 Lisowski

Mark vaults the winning line, making a total of 74. Jack has no interest in chasing five snookers, and concedes.

Williams 2-0 Lisowski (56-0)

This is in danger of getting away from Jack very quickly. Mark's break is measured and methodical, as a pink takes him over the half-century mark. It's become more and more intricate in terms of position, but this is starting to look like a frame that's going in one visit.

Williams 2-0 Lisowski (22-0)

Jack takes on a deadweight long red to bottom right at the start of the third, but it doesn't go. Mark tries to respond with a red to the yellow pocket, but that rattles out too. Jack then has another shocker as he misses a mid-range red thick to the bottom left, and goes in-off via a deflection in the bottom right. Mark has an easy starter, goes into the pack off the blue and, although one red almost drops in the bottom left, he's got a big scoring chance here. A tough blue to the green pocket goes right into the pocket to keep it going, and he's right in now.

Williams 2-0 Lisowski

Jack gets in, and the clearance is on. He gets to 13, but in taking the one tough red along the rail to the bottom right, he leaves it in the jaws. What a nightmare for Jack, he's absolutely served this up for Mark. As nonchalant as you like, Mark adds 25 to bank the frame.

Williams 1-0 Lisowski (52-15)

A pressure pink to the left middle opens it all up for Mark as he nudges other reds into play. The black is tied up for the foreseeable, but he can cobble something together from the blue and pink. It's a swift half-century, but Mark then misses a red with the rest to the green pocket. Jack returns to the table, which still has 67 on it. Jack picks off red-blue, then brings the black into play from a safety. This is wide open now.

Williams 1-0 Lisowski (5-9)

A poor safety from Mark at the start of frame two gifts a scoring chance to Jack. He's away with an easy starter to the left middle, and then goes into the pack aggressively off the blue. It was a calculated gamble, but it hasn't paid off as he's not on anything that's not difficult. The break ends on six, and Jack might rue that decision as there were plenty of points in the open there. He gets in again with a superb long red to the green pocket, but soon misses a routine red to bottom right. He hasn't settled yet. Mark gets in with a thin cut to bottom right in response, and he's away.

Williams 1-0 Lisowski

One more red from Mark, glided into the bottom left, and it's all over.

Williams 0-0 Lisowski (63-7)

Well now! Mark misses a virtually straight red to the bottom right; that and a colour, and Jack was needing snookers. As it is, he's still in the frame with four reds remaining. It should be curtains now though, as Mark deadweights a long red to the bottom left and then a soft pink to the right middle. Jack returns to the table needing two snookers.

Williams 0-0 Lisowski (49-7)

Mark's a bit loose at the start here. A blue wobbles on the lip of the right middle before dropping, and his positional play is a bit off. This break keeps on trucking though, and he's on 40 and counting as he drops in behind a group of five reds below the black spot. Two more reds will do it.

Williams 0-0 Lisowski (21-7)

Jack shorts a safety, allowing Mark to jab a red into the bottom right with the rest. It's a chance, but he takes his eye off a routine blue to right middle and misses it badly. Jack can't cash it in though, jamming down a red but snookering himself on all colours, and then sliding by the brown and missing it from a one-cushion escape. His successful attempt with his next shot leaves Mark a long red to go at, and it duly disappears. There's a spread on now, and Mark starts tucking in.

Williams 0-0 Lisowski (0-6)

We're off, and it's first to six for a place in tomorrow's final. Jack cracks in the first red of the day, long to the bottom right, and he just about lands on the blue. That goes, but he's not great on his next red and misses it. Tentative safety follows, and there's some amount of mutual respect out there.

Angles and the Wind

In the Eurosport studio, Alan McManus fancies a comprehensive win for Williams today, while Jimmy White is backing Jack. Rob Walker is just announcing the players into the arena, so let's see how it pans out.

Heads up

These two have played six matches against each other, with three wins apiece. Mark has won 20 of their frames, Jack 19. Are we in for another close one?

Ball Run addresses Twitter rage

This will hopefully resolve some people's fury. We're dealing with social media though, so don't bet the farm on it.

The Welsh Potting Machine

Mark and the Masters have a rich history together. It’s now 25 years since his first triumph in the tournament, a victory for which the word epic is barely sufficient; in a late night thriller he beat Stephen Hendry in a final frame decider, on a re-spotted black. Mark snagged the title again in 2003, again sorting out Hendry in the final, on his way to bagging all three triple crown events in one season. He’s still the last player to achieve that feat.

The Big Lisowski

No one more than Jack will be bored of hearing that he has yet to win a title, ranking or non, in his career to date. He’s been runner-up in six finals to date; he reached the quarters at the Crucible last year and the semi-finals of the UK a few months ago, and he’s been in the top 16 now for four seasons. Slowly but surely, Jack is inching closer. Can he break his duck here at Ally Pally?

Good afternoon!

Welcome to semi-final day at the 2023 Masters. Later on today we’ll have Judd Trump versus Stuart Bingham for your consumption, but we kick things off shortly with a belter – it’s Jack Lisowski against Mark Williams.

Bingham admits he is 'pretty close' to his best ahead of Trump clash

Stuart Bingham admits he is playing “pretty close” to the best of his ability following his 6-0 whitewash win over Shaun Murphy at The Masters on Friday night.

The 2020 champion produced a sizzling display, totally dominating the match to set up a clash with Judd Trump in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Bingham had gone close to a whitewash win over Kyren Wilson on Wednesday, too, only for the ‘Warrior’ to win three of the last four frames to make it interesting.

It’s some turnaround in form considering he had previously been dumped out of the UK Championship, the English Open and Scottish Open, as well as the German Masters, at the first round.

Asked in the Eurosport studio how close to his best does he believe he’s playing, Bingham responded: “Very close. I feel pretty close.”

He added: “I’ve been through it, the last couple of months where everything you can see going wrong, goes wrong, and it's unbelievable when it does go wrong. But when it goes right, it's the best game ever.”

Read the full thoughts of Bingham here.