UK Championship 2023: Judd Trump thwarts Mark Selby in ruthless display to book semi-final place in York
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ByEurosport
Updated 02/12/2023 at 09:58 GMT
Judd Trump, the 2011 UK champion, continued his fine form at the UK Championship as he saw off a fightback from Mark Selby to beat the four-time world champion 6-3 in the quarter-finals at the Barbican Centre in York. The world No. 2 will play Ding Junhui next after he beat Mark Williams on Friday evening. Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Hossein Vafaei completes the final four.
Trump 'still struggling' with illness ahead of UK Championship semi-final
Judd Trump is through to the semi-finals of the UK Championship after an emphatic 6-3 win over four-time world champion Mark Selby.
Despite continuing to suffer from illness in York, Trump produced some of his best snooker to overcome Selby, who was expected to give him a far tougher test at the Barbican on Friday night.
But Trump ruthlessly capitalised on errors made by Selby, and benefitted from some timely flukes, to book his place in the semi-finals where he will play Ding Junhui on Saturday evening.
Trump got off to a rapid start. Selby gets an unfortunate double kiss on the red looking for the right corner and Trump instantly capitalised with his 50th century of the season to take the lead.
Selby built up a lead of 61 in the second frame, but Trump cleared the table for 72 to double his advantage.
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‘That tends to be the way’ – In-form Trump benefits from fluke against Selby
The third frame required a re-rack, but it did not deter Trump who went on to get a break of 93.
Shortly after a remarkable fluke, Trump missed a straightforward red to allow Selby into the fourth frame, but he could not capitalise as he overcut a red to the tip left corner with the rest.
His error allowed Trump to quickly restore his dominance with a run of 52 and a secure commanding 4-0 lead at the interval.
Selby was able to get his first meaningful break of the evening after a Trump counter opportunity broke down.
The Jester from Leicester won the frame with a break of 60 to reduce the deficit, drawing ironic cheers from the York crowd.
Trump moved to within a frame of victory after a three-ball plant saw him take control of the frame before going on to complete a well-crafted 95 break.
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'Took a lot of courage!' - Trump nails three-ball plant
Selby benefitted from a fluke with a red at 25-4 and he kept himself in the match by winning the frame. He then followed up by producing his best snooker of the match with a break of 98 to move within two frames of Trump.
Selby fluked in a red before Trump went one better and produced an even more flamboyant fluke. Selby was left 48 behind with 43 remaining and required two snookers, but he could not make it happen and Trump sealed his 1,000th professional victory.
Meanwhile, in the evening session's other quarter-final match, Ding Junhui beat Mark Williams 6-5 in an epic contest featuring the most points ever scored in a single frame of snooker.
Williams took the opening two frames before Ding got back into the match with a break of 95, Before the interval, Ding fired in an emphatic clearance of 127 to draw level.
Williams regained the lead with a 100 clearance, but Ding produced a second ton of the match with a 135 clearance to level the score.
Ding added a break of 72 to take the lead for the first time before an hour-long frame ensued which Williams won 101 points to 94. It was the most points ever scored in a single frame of snooker.
Momentum was with Williams and he piled in a break of 58 to move within a frame of victory, but an 85 clearance from Ding forced a final-frame decider.
A tense final frame was won by Ding with a third century of the night.
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