Trump reaches final after Crucible classic
Judd Trump completed a 17-15 win over Ding Junhui to reach the World Championship final after an absorbing semi-final duel at the Crucible.
Trump, 21, became the youngest player to reach the final since Stephen Hendry in 1990 after winning the closing three frames to complete a memorable victory over Masters champion Ding, who squandered several opportunities in the death throes of the match having carved out a 15-14 lead.
Trump will face John Higgins in the final.
Whoever faces Trump in the final looks like facing a stern challenge against a player who is playing the best snooker of his life. Trump is on course to win successive ranking tournaments having lifted the China Open in Beijing at the outset of April.
Bristol's Trump plays the game with some panache and a natural instinct to attack, but will probably be wondering how he managed to overcome an inspired Ding in a final session that was dominated by heavy scoring.
The pair split the opening four frames of the afternoon as 12-12 quickly became 14-14 after moments of supreme quality and contagious sporting drama.
Trump continued to attack with his usual relish in opening up a 14-12 lead aided by a couple of wonderful breaks that Ding was helpless to prevent.
Trump's 74 was followed by an imperious run of 89 in frames 25 and 26.
Ding's response was stunning as he made a 138 to equal the highest break prize set by Mark King in the first round against Graeme Dott after a Trump error had left him among the balls.
Trump looked likely to open up a 15-13 advantage when he contributed 51, but his decision to refuse a pot on a black for the option of playing safe off the brown proved a pivotal moment as Chinese player Ding recovered in some style.
Ding's clearance of 47 never looked on, but he showed a deft touch in releasing several balls from cushions and an iron will in potting them to level at 14-14 before the mid-session interval.
Ding seemed to be on the verge of becoming the first Asian player to reach the final when he rolled in a break of 119 in the 29th frame before embarking upon a run of 47 in the 30th frame.
Somewhat surprisingly, Ding ran out of position attempting to get prime position on a pink as Trump was handed a lifeline.
He grasped it with both hands as a closing 38 bolstered by some excellent shot selection in the safety department saw Trump level at 15-15.
The Sheffield crowd were making the kind of noise that was reserved for cult heroes Alex Higgins and Jimmy White in the 1980s as Ding fluffed an attempted pot on a red while 27 points clear in the 31st frame, a frame that needed a re-rack to add more theatre to the occasion.
Trump punished that error with a solid 68 to move one frame clear with a possible two remaining. He needed only one of them as Ding broke down on a knock of 29 before a missed red from mid-range left Trump among the balls with the tension growing in the arena.
Ding was not allowed another shot as he sat down to watch Trump compile a calculated clearance of 105 to clinch his place in a final that will be contested over the best of 35 frames on Sunday and Monday.
He will try to become the second-youngest winner of the tournament after Hendry, but will do so knowing that he has every right to be in the final having ousted last year's champion Neil Robertson, Martin Gould, Graeme Dott and now Ding in clearing his path to the most important match of his life.
Third session report
A revitalised Judd Trump fought from 9-7 down against Ding Junhui to end the third session of their World Championship semi-final level at 12-12 at the Crucible.
The Englishman entered Friday night's third session having lost the last five frames in a row to his Chinese opponent, and Ding extended the run with a break of 64 to lead 10-7.
The match looked in danger of slipping away from the 21-year-old Trump, but he stopped the rot with a half-century of his own to pull back to 10-8.
On a night of high-quality snooker Ding responded with a break of 71 to make it 11-8, before Trump suddenly clicked into gear.
The shot-making left-hander produced fluent breaks of 77, 61, 102 and 123 to take four frames in a row and surge into a 12-11 lead.
But it was Ding who had the final word, compiling a break of 87 to win the final frame and square the match at 12-12.
The pair will play to a finish from 2.30pm on Sunday.
Second session report
Judd Trump endured his worst session of the tournament as Ding Junhui won five straight frames to lead 9-7 in their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible.
The Bristol player never looked comfortable among the balls despite winning two of the first three frames of the morning to open up a three-frame advantage at 7-4 having resumed 5-3 ahead overnight.
Trump, 21, squandered numerous chances contributing a highest break of only 51 in a morning session that was defined by large periods of nervousness from both men.
Ding held himself together better, despite never reaching the heights that helped him lift the Masters in January.
The Chinese player won the first frame of the day with a lovely 91 only for Trump to claim the next two frames with breaks of 51 and a 49 that was prompted by an outrageous fluked red after he had escaped from a snooker.
Trump enjoyed another fluked red in the next frame, but this time failed to capitalise on his good luck as a missed black enabled Ding to step in to close to 7-5.
Trump missed an easy yellow in the 13th frame before Ding contributed 75 to close to 7-6. Trump could not complain about a lack of good fortune as he fluked a blue in the 14th frame, but he failed to get position on the black from the pink. Ding holed the black to level at 7-7.
It was a relief for Ding after an earlier break of 60 had proved insufficient to secure the frame.
The misses kept coming from the cue of Trump in the final two frames of the session. A missed yellow in the death throes of the 15th frame allowed Ding to snare an 8-7 lead with the final frame of the session following a similar pattern as Trump was twice among the balls, but twice broke down on 17.
Ding is on course to become the first Asian to reach the final of the World Championship.
They resume at 7pm on Friday evening with Trump requiring to raise his levels considerably with the first player to 17 frames assured of a place in the final.
First session report
Judd Trump produced a session of carefree snooker to open up a handy 5-3 lead over Ding Junhui in their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible.
Masters champion Ding is bidding to become the first Chinese winner of the World Championship, but will probably feel happy to come out of the opening session only two frames behind after Trump unearthed some spectacular long shots.
Trump, 21, is chasing his first world title and successive rankling tournament victories after claiming the China Open earlier this month.
He has grown in stature during the tournament having dismissed Neil Robertson, Martin Gould and Graeme Dott to reach the last four.
Ding showed the quality that accounted for tournament favourite Mark Selby in the quarter-finals by opening the afternoon with a break of 102 only for Trump to restore parity with a classy knock of 110 in the second frame.
Trump edged a close third frame of the day aided by some timely shots from distance in constructing a flashy 42 before a series of telling tactical shots helped him establish a 3-1 lead.
Ding showed remarkable composure in the face of a barrage of long pots to produce a steely clearance on a disorganised set of colours to close to 3-2.
Trump moved 4-2 clear bolstered by an astonishing pot on a red down a side rail and breaks of 30 and 51. Ding needed several scoring visits in the seventh frame, but was always in control of matters to stay within one frame of Trump at 4-3.
The Bristol player displayed a golden touch among the balls in the eighth frame as he constructed a frame-winning contribution of 59 built on a series of nine blues and reds with the black out of commission.
Trump's 5-3 overnight lead is probably a fair reflection of how an engrossing first session unravelled.
The pair will resume at 10am on Friday morning. The first man to 17 frames will secure a place in the final against John Higgins or Mark Williams, who open the first session of their semi-final at 7pm on Thursday evening.
Comment 76 - 95 of 95
Common Trump common
brilliant stuff from judd to reach the final, i am kicking myself because i briefly thought about betting on him after the chinese open, really wish i had now i bet the odds were great at the time before he dispatched robertson. hope he goes all the way, u have to love his game.
The 'Heckler' shouted out ''John Higgins is a nice, honest, trustworthy man''
Obviously the crowd were about to hang him, so they gave the toe up the rusty bullet hole.
The 'rock' couldn't put a cig out.
Ding fought well and won many fans during this Crucible. Trumb is a new star maybe new World champion. It is good to see both of them ,young blood with such prospects. I think the best man won but it will difficult for Trumb and any of these two to face Higgins in the final. It will be good to watch though.
Thought Judd Trumps after match interview was very good. Good mature attitude, he said nothing wrong, in fact, he was absolutely right in everything he said. If Ding had been in the other half , he would have beat either Williams or Higgins, on that form. Ding couldnt have played any better, nerves did get to him a bit and Trump was benefitting from the balls being a bit on the kind side to him on occasion, thats the difference between winning and losing, simple as. I feel a bit sorry for Ding too, he's obviously a very intense player, totally committed, bit methodical at times, but it works for him, he just always gets a bit unlucky and seems to draw somebody who is playing out of their skin. Theres certainly far worse players over the last 5 year who have become world champions.
Superb performance from Judd ... good luck for the final!!
Best crucible action I've seen in a long time. The final should be good but I think Ding was more of a challenge than John Higgins will ultimately be. Judd will most likely be world champion on Monday night if he can hold his nerve and keep playing like that.
death to the cheater higgins!
What did he say? I did'nt hear it.
bit too cocky for me is judd yes hes a great talent but no points for being cocky is there? it disrespectful what he said in hes interview
Ganara Mark Williams! Vamos Mark animos desde españa maquina :) remontaras
Some muppet just got thrown out for heckling John Higgins.
Here's why I suspect you dislike Robertson, you called him a "plastic" champion. How disrespectful, innacurate and astonishingly ignorant is that? To win a world title you have to win (10 + 12 +12 + 17 + 18 = 69) 69 frames. How can you fluke that? It's not as if Robertson had not been knocking on the door either. Before he won it, he had reached a quarter and a semi-final in the world championships previously. You clearly don't understand snooker.
All together now
Donney is a wa@@er
Donney is a Wa@@er
la la la la
Comments 75 and 76 contradict each other, Edward. On one hand, you say he's a "plastic champ" - which is in itself an embarassing statement - while on the other hand, you say "ifs" and "buts" don't count. Are you insinuating that the best long potter in the world (Trump could in time challenge that status) had the "ifs" and "buts" go in his favour? Make your mind up! How was he a plastic champion? Did he have six world ranking titles handed to him on a plate? Did he not deserve his No.1 position? You KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SNOOKER. All you're good for is slagging off world champions like John Higgins and Robertson. You're boring. Shut up. Come on Higgins!
the rock would whoop his candy a$$
judd trump = LAD
Dislike Robertson ?, Somehow I don't think so, not sure where you dreampt that one up. Like the kid, great player, great to watch, lots to admire about how he struggled into the pro circuit in the U.K. Not a clue why you suspect I dislike the kid, never said anything even remotely alluding to that. I just can see how limited his game is, I mean, to be spanked so embarassingly by Hebdon.
Snooker is full of 'ifs' and 'buts', ' what if ' they count for nothing, what does count is the score at the end of a match.
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