Congratulations Judd Trump 2019 World Champion

He beat John Higgins by 18-9 in a record-breaking final. Judd made seven centuries in that final, more than in any other Crucible final. The match had 11 centuries in total, more than any other match. And this World Championship saw 100 centuries made, the 100th bu the new champion. Also, by winning the World Championship, Judd became only the 11th player in history to hold the “Triple Crown” – UK Championship (2011),, Masters (2019), World Championship (2019)

Here is how it unfolded on the last day of the championship:

Judd and John shared the afternoon session (report Worldsnooker)

Monday 6 May 2019 05:36PM

Judd Trump needs just two more frames for a maiden Crucible title, leading John Higgins 16-9 heading into the final session of the 2019 Betfred World Championship.

An extraordinary afternoon of play saw a break of over 50 in every frame and four centuries. That takes the total for the tie to 11 century breaks, which is the most ever made in a professional match. The previous best was ten in Ding Junhui’s 2016 Crucible semi-final win over Alan McManus.

World number seven Trump came into this afternoon already holding a commanding 12-5 advantage, following a dominant display yesterday evening.

Four-time World Champion Higgins came flying out of the blocks this afternoon. He strung together 14 reds with blacks, before being left with a long range double to the top corner to keep the break going. He deposited it and looked to be in position for the maximum break, but missed the 15^thblack to end his run on 113.

The Wizard of Wishaw then made it 12-7 thanks to a contribution of 59. Masters champion Trump opened his opened his account for the afternoon with a century run of 101. Further contributions of 71 and 126 then saw him open up an eight frame gap at 15-7.

Higgins took two frames on the bounce with breaks of 67 and 70 to make it 15-9 and avoid defeat with a session to spare.

However, Trump ended the session in spectacular fashion. The Ace in the Pack embarked on a 147 attempt of his own, making 13 reds with blacks. He missed the second last red to break down on 104, but now leads 16-9.

They will return for the concluding session at 7pm.

Coverage:

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session3, Eurosport)

MissingClip 2019 WSC: John Higgins 147 attempt – Judd Trump

MissingClip 2019 WSC: Judd Trump 147 attempt – John Higgins

MissingClip 2019 WSC: review of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session3, Eurosport)

Ronnie commentated on frames 20-21

Judd Trump needed just two frames to win the title in the evening (report Worldsnooker)

Monday 6 May 2019 07:43PM

Judd Trump won his maiden Betfred World Championship title as he made seven centuries in beating John Higgins 18-9 in a tremendous Crucible final.

Trump became the first player to earn over £1 million in a single season and fulfilled his greatest ambition, having been touted as a potential World Champion since his teenage years. At 29, he becomes the first player under 30 to lift the trophy since Neil Robertson in 2010.

A final of record-breaking quality featured 11 centuries, the most in any match in snooker history, plus 12 more breaks over 50. Trump’s individual tally of seven tons equalled the record for any match, held by Stephen Hendry and Ding Junhui.

The crucial passage of play came in the second session when Bristol’s Trump won eight frames in a row on Sunday evening to go 12-5 ahead. Higgins battled on Monday to prolong the contest but couldn’t hold back the tide.

Trump’s performance in the final must go down as one of the best of all time. As Steve Davis put it, it was a “controlled annihilation of a great player.”

Trump becomes the 21^st champion of the Crucible era and the 11^th player to complete the Triple Crown, having won the UK Championship in 2011 and the Masters in 2019. He is the first player to win the Masters and World titles in the same season since Mark Williams in 2003.

He receives a cheque for £500,000, the biggest in snooker history, taking his tally for the season to £1,098,400. It’s his third ranking title of the campaign, having also won the Northern Ireland Open and World Grand Prix. His career tally of ranking titles is now 11 and he moves up to second in the world rankings, behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Left-hander Trump gained revenge on Higgins for the 2011 Crucible final when he lost 18-15. At the time, Trump’s game was all-out attack, relying on devastating long potting and break-building. His game has matured over time, particularly over the past year. By improving his safety play and shot selection he has become a far more formidable competitor. And any questions over Trump’s capacity to handle pressure at the highest level have been answered emphatically.

Defeat is devastating for Higgins as it means he has lost the last three Crucible finals, having been denied the trophy by Mark Selby in 2017 and Mark Williams in 2018. He is the only player to lose three world finals in a row apart from Jimmy White, who was runner-up five times in succession from 1990-94.

Wishaw’s 43-year-old Higgins lifted the trophy in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011 but remains stuck on four titles, one behind Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Scot has been well below his best this season, failing to win a title. His legendary battling qualities got him into the final in Sheffield, but there was little he could do to stop the barrage of potting from an opponent 14 years his junior. He receives £200,000 as runner-up and finishes the season ranked fifth in the world.

Trump led 16-9 after three sessions having made breaks of 51, 63, 105, 103, 135, 114, 71, 58, 70, 101, 71, 126 and 104.

In the first frame of the concluding session he carried on in the same vein with a break of 94, missing out on a century chance when he failed to double the last red. And Trump ruthlessly finished off the match in the following frame with a break of 62.

“It’s surreal at the moment, it’s going to take a while for that to sink in,” said Trump. “John brought the best out of me as he always does. I was prepared for such a massive battle so the scoreline to win a World Championship final was incredible for me. It’s hard to put the feeling into words.

“Everything I went for seemed to be going in. My concentration has improved a lot this season. I have limited the number of balls I am missing and winning a lot more frames in one visit.

“My brother Jack has helped me a lot this season – since he has been travelling around with me I have won the Masters and the World Championship. Obviously my parents have been a massive influence through my whole career, taking me around the country when I was younger. So to win it for them when they were there in the arena was incredible. It’s a dream come true.

“I’ll keep putting the work next season and go back with the same hunger. It will be nice to sit back in the major events without people asking me when I’m going to win them. I can go into every tournament now a bit more relaxed and give it my best shot.

“I didn’t want to get to 40 years of age without winning it. When I played John in the final in 2011 I threw it away a bit because I lacked experience. I’m very pleased with how I played throughout the whole tournament. From the end of the (second round) match with Ding Junhui I found something and carried it through to the end.”

Higgins, who missed out on a 31^st ranking title, said: “He was unstoppable, he really was. He was unbelievable. If I’m being hyper-critical, when I went 5-4 up yesterday and he missed a couple right at the start of the tenth frame, and then I missed one, I was thinking maybe if I had got in and made a frame winning break, who knows what might have happened. But after that he just blew me away, pure and simple. It was unbelievable to watch, it really was.

“Standard-wise it would be up there with the great world finals. That was just sustained brilliance from Judd in this match, there was nothing I could do.

“I’ve got to try and take the positives I suppose, I’m proud of making three finals in a row. This one’s not as tough to take as the previous two. I’ve basically forgotten about this one already because there’s nothing I could have done, he was just too good.

“His all-round game has really gone up a notch in the last few years. When he’s scoring he can be pretty much unstoppable. He doesn’t just overpower his opponent, he overpowers the snooker table. That’s what he was doing throughout that match, there was no shot he couldn’t play. Some shots I’m limited by with my cue power, but there’s not one shot on that table that Judd can’t play. It’s pretty daunting when he’s on it like that.”

 

Coverage:

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session4

MissingClip 2019 WSC: review of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session4, Eurosport)

Judd Trump and John Higgins post-match interviews

 

 

 

There were more annoucements by Barry Hearn today and this was published by Worldsnooker

Monday 6 May 2019 05:31PM

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn staged another press conference at the Betfred World Championship today. He announced the following.

The  World Cup will be staged in Wuxi, China every two years for the next ten years. This year’s event will take place from June 24 to 30. There will be 24 two-man teams from 23 nations (with host nation China to enter two teams). Total prize money will be $800,000. The teams will be announced after Q School.

The winner of next season’s Coral Cup, awarded to the player who wins the most money across the three Coral Series events, will receive an extra £100,000 bonus. This replaces the possibility of rounding up the prize money from £375,000 to £500,000 if a player wins all three events.

The first round losers in the three Coral Series events will receive the relevant prize money, but that money will not count towards their ranking tally.

In the Home Nations series events, the top 32 players will be seeded into the draw, with all other players drawn at random. Previously, only the top 16 were seeded.

High break prizes will go up next season, and there will be no discrepancy between the qualifying rounds and final stages in terms of breaks counting for the high break prize. This compensates for the scrapping of the rolling £5,000 for 147s, which has been replaced by the potential £1 million bonus for 20 or more 147s in a season, as previously announced.

Slow play will be closely monitored. The introduction of Average Shot Time on our website has helped speed up play. There are only a handful of players now consistently over 30 seconds a shot across the season. We will continue to monitor the situation and we are keeping our referees up to date with those players who are still lagging behind.

Toilet breaks are sometimes used as a form of gamesmanship and this clearly cannot be allowed. We will be in consultation with the players themselves, and the Players’ Commission in particular, to bring in some rules that are workable on toilet breaks.

Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with the level of entertainment being provided by the players. This has been a major reason for an escalation of TV ratings this year. In particular, the Coral series on ITV was a huge success and the World Championship and the other major events on the BBC are showing growth, while there is also significant growth on Eurosport.

The whole tournament schedule for the 2019/20 season will be published tomorrow. We’re aiming at 20 ranking events plus a range of invitational events, with total prize money estimated at £15 million.

Q School Asia will be taking place towards the end of the 2019/20 season alongside the traditional Q School here.

Is there any evidence that toilet breaks are used as a form of gamesmanship? How can you prove that? Seriously.

First day of the final…. and Judd Trump leads John Higgins by 12-5!

here is how we got there:

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the Judd Trump – John Higgins match (Session1, Eurosport)

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session1, Eurosport) 2/2

Report on afternoon session (Worldsnooker)

Sunday 5 May 2019 05:32PM

Judd Trump and John Higgins are locked together at 4-4 after the first session of the 2019 Betfred World Championship final.

The match is a repeat of the classic 2011 world final, where Higgins came through an 18-15 victor. In total Scotland’s Higgins is playing in his eighth Crucible final, matching Steve Davis’ total. Only Stephen Hendry has reached more, having competed in nine.

Trump hasn’t made the Crucible final since that clash in 2011 and is aiming for a maiden World Championship title. The Ace in the Pack won a second Triple Crown title by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-4 in the final of the Masters earlier this year.

It was Bristol’s Trump who got off to the fastest start this afternoon, in a session which was played to the high standard which befitted the occasion. Trump took the opening frame with a break of 51, before a contribution of 63 helped him to make it 2-0.

Higgins got his first frame on the board with a sublime contribution of 139. However, Trump ensured he had the lead at the interval, replying with a century run of 105 to make it 3-1.

When they returned, Higgins embarked on a streak which would see him claim the lead for the first time in the match. Breaks of 69, 34, 40 and 101 saw him rack up 244 unanswered points and three frames on the bounce to lead 4-3. The session ended with Trump restoring parity thanks to the fourth century of the day, a break of 103.

MissingClip 2019 WSC: review of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session1, Eurosport)

Ronnie commentated on frames 1 and 2

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session2, Eurosport) 1/2

MissingClip 2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session2, Eurosport) 2/2

with Jason Ferguson briefly recalling about the history of the trophy and the venue.

Report on evening session by Worldsnooker

Sunday 5 May 2019 11:03PM

MissingClip 2019 WSC: review of the John Higgins – Judd Trump match (Session2, Eurosport)

Ronnie commentated on frames 13-14

So we might possibly finish with a session to spare…. Nobody until now has ever recovered from such huge deficit. It would need John Higgins to play at the top of his game AND Judd Trump to have a really bad day in office for this to happen.

And Ronnie showed us around his boat…

Crucible Cribs: Ronnie shows us around his boat (Eurosport)

After 15 days of battle on the table(s) and emotional highs and lows, here we are: the final starts today: it’s John Higgins v Judd Trump in a repeat of the 2011 final. And yet, it will definitely be a very different match.

In 2011, Judd Trump, only 21, was a qualifier, albeit as the winner the last tournament before the Crucible: the China Open.. He had knocked out the defending champion, Neil Robertson, on the first day of the tournament. He had no battle scars and went for absolutely everything, getting most. He was a breath of fresh air, he played with freedom, he had already exceeded all expectations. Now 8 years later, many fans and pundits feel that if he doesn’t win the World Championship very soon, he might never do it and Judd hasn’t always coped well with those expectations. He’s also not always made it easier for himself by taking a brazen attitude.

In 2011, John Higgins came to the Crucible a man with something to prove, a man eager to redeem himself after the scandal that had tarnished the 2010 World Championship. Having missed the start of the season because of his ban, he came back with a bang. he made the final in the first three tournaments he played in: he won EPTC 5, was runner-up in EPTC 6 and won the UK Championship. He then lost his father – who had been his biggest supporter through his career since he was a boy – and was forced to withdraw from the German Masters. And he immediately bounced back, winning the Welsh Open and the World Championship. With a hindsight that was quite some feat. That World title, in 2011, is his last to-date. He’s been in the final in 2017 and 2018, coming runner-up each time. Those two defeats took a huge toll on him. This one is his eight final.

If Judd Trump was to win on Monday, he would complete the triple crown, having won the UK Championship in 2011, and the Masters this season. He would become the first player to pass the £1000000 prize money in a season too. He would climb to World n°2 with a good chance to get the n°1 early in the season, as Ronnie is unlikely to play over the summer.

Here is Ronnie talking to ES about Judd Trump

2019 WSC: Ronnie O’Sullivan on Judd Trump (Eurosport)

If John Higgins was to win on Monday, he would equal Ronnie’s five World titles, and he would climb to World n°3. This would mean that the first three players in the rankings would be Ronnie, Mark Williams and John Higgins: the class of 92. Those three, entering their 28th season as pros, at the age of 43/44, are still better than the rest. Isn’t that extraordinary? Don’t tell me that the standard has never been higher, will you. Ronnie, in the building of the tournament was saying that he’s a grand dad, and that if he was a young player he would be embarrassed to see a grand dad at the top of their sport. He said that it’s about time the young ones step up… but can they?

This is how we got this far:

Judd Trump 17-11  Gary Wilson

Session 3 (source Worldsnooker)

Saturday 4 May 2019 02:02PM

Judd Trump secured a 14-10 advantage over Gary Wilson heading into the final session of their Betfred World Championship semi-final showdown.

The Ace in the Pack is aiming to reach his second world final. His only appearance in snooker’s biggest match to date came in 2011, when he lost a classic encounter with John Higgins 18-15. Trump claimed his second Triple Crown title by defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-4 in the Masters final earlier this year.

World number 32 Wilson has enjoyed a fairytale run this week. The former taxi driver from Wallsend came through qualifying to secure his place at the Crucible. He is the fifth lowest ranked player ever to reach the semi-final stage of the World Championship.

Trump came into the session with a slender 9-7 advantage. He extended that cushion further this morning by taking the opening two frames to make it 11-7.

Wilson then got off the mark for the morning, before Trump compiled a break of 114 to lead 12-8 at the mid-session interval. The century break had added significance, as it was the 87^th of the tournament, breaking the all-time record. The previous best of 86 was set in 2015 and 2016.

When they returned Wilson stole the 21^st frame on the final pink to close the gap to 12-9. Trump then restored his four-frame lead with a break of 67. However, Wilson refused to wilt in the Crucible cauldron and breaks of 40 and 52 saw him make it 13-10.

The pair then battled out a crucial final frame of the session, which lasted 45 minutes. Eventually Trump got past the snookers required stage and despite some strong safety play from Wilson he managed to seal the frame and emerge with his 14-10 lead.

Session 4 (source Worldsnooker)

Saturday 4 May 2019 10:01PM

Judd Trump pulled away from Gary Wilson to win 17-11 and set up a Betfred World Championship final against John Higgins, a repeat of their 2011 Crucible clash.

Wilson matched his opponent stride for stride in the early stages of their semi-final and led 6-5 at one point, but Trump got stronger as the match progressed and, in the end, won comfortably. He faces Higgins over 35 frames on Sunday and Monday with the winner to lift the trophy and bank snooker’s biggest ever first prize of £500,000.

Eight years ago, Trump jumped into the limelight with his audacious brand of attacking play, and nearly pulled off an astonishing victory, but lost 18-15 to Higgins. Now age 29, wiser, more experienced and with a better all-round game, Trump will relish the challenge of his second Crucible final and another crack at four-time champion Higgins.

Bristol’s Trump has had a career-best season, winning the Masters, the Northern Ireland Open and the World Grand Prix, and the world number seven has the chance to finish it in perfect style. To land a first world title before his 30th birthday would be a milestone achievement.

Wilson has had the best month of his life on the baize, winning three qualifying matches and three more at the Crucible. The 33-year-old from Wallsend leaves with a career-biggest cheque for £100,000.

Trump led 14-10 going into the concluding session, and got the better of a scrappy opening frame tonight to extend his lead. World number 32 Wilson pulled one back with a break of 68 to make it 15-11, but Trump soon quashed any hopes of a fight back with runs of 97 and 88 to take the last two frames.

“My performance was pretty solid, there were a few ups and downs in the game,” said ten-time ranking event winner Trump. “I finished it off well and was very happy with how I played towards the end. I was very pleased to get it over and done with and give myself a little break before the final.

“I’m a different player now compared to the 2011 final. I know when to turn balls down when I’m not playing too well, and how to dig in. My safety’s been a lot better this season and that’s probably the main reason I’ve done so well.

“I hope this final gets close to the same atmosphere of 2011. It’s important against John to get off to a good start, you don’t want him getting too confident. I’m under no illusions as to how hard it’s going to be to beat him. I’m probably going to have to go out there and play the best I’ve ever played.

“In his own head he’s probably massive favourite having been there and done it, under pressure he’s proved how good he is. I’d give everything I’ve won this season to win that trophy. I’m at the age where to win that trophy for me and my family would mean everything. My best years are still ahead of me hopefully. I’m still learning every day as a player.”

Wilson, who had never won a match at the Crucible before this year, said: “I wasn’t good enough over the last two days and that’s why I lost. Judd deserved it, Judd played better. It’s nice to know now that I feel comfortable in the Crucible. I just wish I felt as comfortable in my own game, in my own technique. That’s something I definitely need to work on.

“I’ve been trying to work on that side of my game for ten or 15 years and I haven’t been able to find the answers. All I can do is try and take the positives because I’ve done well in this tournament.”

2019 WSC: Day15 evening session preview (Eurosport) 1/2

2019 WSC: Day15 evening session preview (Eurosport) 2/2

Ronnie was in the commentary box for frames 25-26

John Higgins 17-16 David Gilbert

Session 4 (source Worldsnooker)

Saturday 4 May 2019 07:16PM

John Higgins reached the Betfred World Championship final for the third consecutive year with a nerve-shredding 17-16 victory over David Gilbert in the semi-finals.

The match came down to a deciding frame in which both players battled for an opening on the final red. Eventually Gilbert left Higgins a thin cut to a middle pocket, which the four-time champion converted to reach his eighth final at the Theatre of Dreams. That draws Higgins level with Steve Davis in terms of Crucible final appearances, one behind Stephen Hendry’s record of nine.

Scotland’s Higgins succumbed to an 18-15 defeat against Mark Selby in 2017 and lost a classic final against Mark Williams 18-16 last year. He will be hoping to avoid three consecutive final defeats when he faces Judd Trump or Gary Wilson on Sunday and Monday. It will be the richest match in snooker history, with a £500,000 top prize on offer.

It was an emotional end to a career best run for Tamworth’s Gilbert. The former potato farmer has enjoyed a fairytale rise to fame over recent years. Gilbert dropped off the professional circuit at the end of the 2010/11 season and required Q School to resurrect his snooker career. This year he was a seed at the Crucible for the first time, having been runner-up at the Yushan World Open and the German Masters. Gilbert picks up £100,000, his biggest ever pay day, for reaching the semi-finals.

World number five Higgins, trailing 13-11, had an early chance in the first frame today but only made 20 before missing the pink to a centre pocket. Gilbert punished him with a superb 105 clearance, the 88th century of the tournament.

Back came Higgins, taking three frames in a row with top breaks of 52 and 74 to level at 14-14 at the interval. Frame 29 was re-racked twice, but that didn’t slow down Higgins’ momentum as a run of 96 put him ahead for the first time since 3-2. World number 16 Gilbert replied with an excellent 78 for 15-15.

In frame 31, Higgins made 23 before missing a red with the long rest to a top corner. Gilbert’s 53 put him ahead, and when Higgins missed a long pot on the third-last red, the Englishman added 12 which proved enough to put him ahead. But a safety error from Gilbert early in the 32nd let Higgins in for a marvellous 139 total clearance to force the decider.

Gilbert had the first opportunity and made 28 before missing a tough black, cueing over another red. Higgins stepped in and made 55, then ran out of position on the final red. The subsequent safety battle ended with Higgins coming through to seal the momentous win.

“I don’t know how I got through that match,” said 43-year-old Higgins, aiming for his 31^st ranking title. “I could have thrown the towel in during the first three sessions, I was getting so annoyed with myself, but I was just trying to hang in.

“I’ve got to say I was lucky in that last frame as well. Dave got a kick on 28 and left himself bridging over a red for the black and missed, otherwise he might have cleared up.

“I could see he was really upset at the end, that’s what it does to you, but he’ll be back. If I wasn’t in the tournament and I was watching him back home — like 99% of the players — I’d be wanting Dave to win because he’s a diamond of a guy.

“He let me off the hook in the first two sessions. He wouldn’t have had a good night’s sleep only leading 13-11 because he would have been thinking he should have been 15-9 or 16-8 in front. I was over the moon to only be 13-11 behind. It was such a high quality final session, it was a great game.

“My wife Denise and the kids came down. I needed their support, because you don’t know how many more times you’re going to be coming here. I felt I had to try and savour it, to try and get every ounce out of myself, and my family can help me.

“It would be interesting to play Judd in the final again. It would be a brilliant final to be involved in and play him again. He’s a different player, an unbelievable all round player.”

Gilbert said: “I have loved every minute of it since I’ve been here. I came here with no expectations. It was an honour to play John – he’s an absolute legend of the game, very classy. I’m absolutely gutted to lose of course. To have got to a world final wow, what an incredible feeling that would have been. I’ve got nothing to feel too sad about though, I gave it my everything.

“To get a kick on an easy red in the last frame to leave me hampered on the black…that’s a bitter taste right now. The way I felt at the table right then was the best feeling I’ve had in my life and I really think I could have potted a few more balls.

“This is probably the best couple of weeks I’ve had in my career by a mile. I’d love to be playing tomorrow. It might be the closest I ever come to a World Championship but I’m not going to feel down about it. Thank you to all my friends and my wife. We’ve had a fantastic time. It’s time to put the cue away for a couple of weeks and have a beer.”

Here are the preview on that session and the decider:

2019 WSC: Day15 afternoon preview (Eurosport) from

2019 WSC: John Higgins – David Gilbert (final frame)

And Ronnie was in the commentary box for frames 27-28

David Gilbert was in tears after the match. He then went to apologise to the media for it… You don’t have to apologise for anything David! You have been fantastic over the last two weeks. You should be very proud.

I won’t risk myself at a preview., I’ve got enough things wrong over the last two weeks. IMO neither Higgins nor Trump played really well except in patches. Higgins was impressive in the last session, but has otherwise been average at best. His determination though was remarkable. Trump had maybe three good sessions over the last two weeks. Both Maguire and Ding were poor, Gary Wilson’s lack of experience and, maybe, tiredness too were a factor as well (he had played three best of 19 before getting to the Crucible, it was his 4th week of competition without much break).

John Higgins hit out at World Snooker for the Final schedule. He’s barking at the wrong tree: the schedule is largely dictated by the BBC. What this reveals however is that he probably feels tired and the taxing schedule isn’t going to help him.

Judd Trump has downplayed his chances against the Scot. His record against Higgins is indeed rather damning. But he’s the younger man and had a far easier passage through the semi finals. He should be the fresher of the two. If he takes any liberties though, he will be made to pay for them.

 

 

 

The semi finals were shaping up yesterday at the Crucible, with David Gilbert still leading John Higgins by 13-11, whilst Judd Trump is 9-7 ahead on Gary Wilson.

Ronnie wasn’t in the studio but he was with Rachel on the floor and also commentating on matches from the commentary box.

Here is how it unfolded

Morning session – Gilbert 10-6 Higgins (source Worldsnooker)

Friday 3 May 2019 02:23PM

David Gilbert got the better of the second session with John Higgins to extend his advantage to 10-6 in their Betfred World Championship semi-final.

They came into this morning with Gilbert leading 5-3, having edged the first session. The Tamworth potter kicked on from there and dominated the opening stages this morning, while four-time Crucible king Higgins looked out of sorts in the first half of the session.

Gilbert got the action underway in spectacular style, firing in a break of 125 to go further ahead at 6-3. Higgins had appeared to be in position to respond immediately, before missing a black off the spot. Gilbert capitalised by clearing to take the frame on the pink and move 7-3 in front.

A clearance of 35 then saw Gilbert take the next on the black and press home his dominance with a five-frame lead at 8-3. However, world number 16 Gilbert’s momentum was halted when he missed a crucial pink to the middle, whilst leading 56-17. Higgins went on to steal the frame on the black and trail 8-4 at the mid-session.

That acted as a catalyst for Higgins, who forced himself back into the contention when they returned. Breaks of 67, 52 and 58 helped him to claim the next two frames to make it 8-6.

Gilbert then ensured he would lead heading into this evening, claiming the 15^th frame with a break of 72. There was then a dramatic last frame of the session. Higgins missed the final blue along the baulk cushion on a break of 50, allowing Gilbert to take out a tricky clearance to the black and emerge with a four-frame lead at 10-6.

They will return at 7pm to play the third session of the best of 33 encounter.

John Higgins played incredibly badly before the MSI. Steve Davis in the BBC studio looked absolutely nonplussed. Yet somehow he managed to get three frames out of this session….

Afternoon session – Trump 9-7 Gary Wilson (source Worldsnooker)

Friday 3 May 2019 06:39PM

Judd Trump moved 9-7 ahead of Gary Wilson in the second session of their Betfred World Championship semi-final clash.

World number seven Trump took four frames in a row during the session as he tried to stamp his authority on the tie. But Wilson took the last frame and the contest remains in the balance going into Saturday’s conclusion.

Bristol’s Trump is aiming to reach the final for second time, having lost to John Higgins in 2011. World number 32 Wilson had never won a match at the  Crucible before this year, but has enjoyed a superb run to the last four.

Wallsend’s Wilson took the opening frame today with an excellent 65 clearance to lead 5-4. Trump made a 56 as he recovered to 5-5 before a tense 35-minute 11th frame went Wilson’s way.

Masters champion Trump then stepped up a gear as runs of 73, 123 and 75 helped put him 9-6 ahead. Wilson then knocked in a break of 77 in frame 16 to reduce his deficit.

They return at 10am for eight more frames, with the remainder to be played from 7.30pm on Saturday. First to 17 goes through to the final to meet John Higgins or David Gilbert.

Crucially for Gary Wilson, he managed to win the last frame of the session with an excellent break of 77. Psychologically this may prove to be an important moment in this match. After the MSI, Gary had been outplayed and looked defeated. However he finished the session on a positive, not only because he won the last frame – therefore trailing only by two – but because of the way he won it.

2019 WSC: preview of the Judd Trump – Gary Wilson match (Session2, Eurosport)

 

Evening session – Gilbert 13-11 Higgins (source Worldsnooker)

Friday 3 May 2019 11:05PM

Four-time Crucible king John Higgins took the third session of his Betfred World Championship semi-final clash with world number 16 David Gilbert, but still trails 13-11.

Gilbert is competing in the one-table setup at the Crucible for the first time. While in stark contrast Higgins is aiming to reach an eighth World Championship final. That would see him equal Steve Davis and move one behind Stephen Hendry’s nine world final appearances.

They came into this evening with Gilbert holding a 10-6 advantage, after the former potato farmer from Tamworth got the better of this morning’s second session.

37-year-old Gilbert took the opening frame tonight with a break of 56. Higgins then got himself off the mark for the evening in the following frame with an extraordinary shot. The Scot deposited a table length double on the final black to make it 11-7.

Gilbert restored his five-frame advantage with a break of 75, before Higgins hit back to make it 12-8 heading into the mid-session.

Wishaw’s Higgins then fired in a sublime 143 break to close within three frames at 12-9. The contribution was the 86^th century of the tournament so far. That equals the record tally, set in 2015 and 2016.

Gilbert then composed fine break of 91 to make it 13-9, before a tense ending to the session. Higgins claimed a scrappy 23^rd frame to close the gap. The last frame of the evening saw both players miss opportunities, as it all came down to the final red. A safety error from Gilbert left a free ball and Higgins capitalised to emerge just two frames behind at 13-11.

They will return for the concluding session tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm

One senses that David Gilbert has to start well this afternoon or John Higgins will smell blood and will probably take the upper hand in the match. Experience matters and David looked nervous yesterday.

2019 WSC: preview of the John Higgins – David Gilbert match (Session3, Eurosport)

2019 WSC: John Higgins 143 – David Gilbert

2019 WSC: review of the John Higgins – David Gilbert match (Session3, Eurosport)

And this is Ronnie in the commentary box – Judd Trump – Gary Wilson (frames 11-12) + John Higgins – David Gilbert (frames 17-18) 

What’s great with Ronnie is that he doesn’t feel the need to babble when unnecessary and he very rarely is harsh on the players. He knows how difficult it is.

By tonight we will know our two finalists. The evening session has re-scheduled and is now due to start at 7:30 pm local time instead of 7 pm. That’s almost certainly a request from the BBC, but to me, it’s unfair on the players. The last session of the semi finals is usually extremely tense and if the match is close, it’s also a long one. They have potentially nine frames to play. Whoever emerges from the evening session as the winner, will also have filming to do with the BBC, after the press conferences. And they will be high on adrenaline. That player will have a very short night and is more likely to come to his first session on the final quite tired, even if they started at 7 pm. Pushing it even later is certainly not great.

The first day of the semi finals at the Crucible is always both exciting and a bit flat. Exciting because the arena changes, there is just the one table, the studio moves into the arena – which has it’s downsides BTW, as the acoustic isolation is not always perfect – and the players get a grand entrance through the stairs. But it’s also a bit flat too, because, backstage it feels empty, with just four players left the buzz of the first rounds is  gone, the media room is calm too. Those are long matches. There is little tension still as it’s only the first session of four and players begin to feel the tiredness.

Yesterday both sessions were rather close. David Gilbert built a 5-3 lead on John Higgins, from 2-0 down, and he had an attempt at a maximum as well. He definitely  looked the better player once the early nerves were done.

2019 WSC: David Gilbert 147 attempt – John Higgins

Thursday 2 May 2019 04:28PM

 

David Gilbert came from 2-0 down to lead John Higgins 5-3 after the first session of their Betfred World Championship semi-final.

First to 17 frames goes through to the final to face Judd Trump or Gary Wilson.

It is something of a David versus Goliath clash, as Gilbert has never won a professional tournament and had only won one match at the Crucible before this year. Higgins, by contrast, is playing in his tenth Sheffield semi-final, and aiming for his fifth title having lifted the trophy in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011. The Scot has 30 ranking titles to his name.

But Gilbert has looked composed so far in the biggest match of his career.

To get to the last four, Tamworth’s 37-year-old Gilbert has beaten Joe Perry 10-7, Mark Williams 13-9 and Kyren Wilson 13-8. Wishaw’s 43-year-old Higgins has seen off Mark Davis 10-7, Stuart Bingham 13-11 and Neil Robertson 13-10.

Higgins won a scrappy opening frame and took the second by clearing from blue to black. World number 16 Gilbert won the third and that settled him into the match as he added a break of 94 to level at 2-2.

A run of 66 put Higgins in charge of the fifth, though Gilbert had a chance to clear but missed the final green to a baulk corner and his opponent regained the lead.

In the sixth, Gilbert potted 14 reds with blacks, then converted a clever cross-double on the 15th red to a centre pocket, but didn’t get position on the black. His hopes of a 147 died with a failed attempt at a table-length double on he black as the break finished on 113.

Runs of 30 and 40 put Gilbert ahead for the first time at 4-3. In the last of the session, the Englishman made 51, then Higgins had an opportunity to clear but missed a tricky red to a top corner on 38. Gilbert added 33 to secure his overnight advantage.

They resume on Friday at 10am for eight more frames.

source Worldsnooker

The evening session finished at 4-4 between Judd Trump and Gary Wilson. Gary, who had his partner watching from the crucible for the first time – looked a bit more nervous than in previous matches, whilst Judd took a few risky shots which isn’t necessarily a good idea against a potter like Gary. Neither looked totally at ease.

Thursday 2 May 2019 10:14PM

Judd Trump and Gary Wilson emerged from the first session of their Betfred World Championship semi-final all square at 4-4.

Masters champion Trump is aiming to secure a maiden world title this week, having been tipped as a contender to pick up the Crucible crown since his classic 2011 final with John Higgins. On that occasion Trump came up short in an 18-15 defeat. The Ace in the Pack hasn’t featured in a World Championship final since then and will be aiming to put that right by beating Wilson over the next three days.

World number 32 Wilson is competing in the one-table setup for the first time, having enjoyed a fairytale run so far. He booked his place at the Theatre of Dreams by coming through qualifying and is the fifth lowest ranked player ever to reach the World Championship semi-finals.

The former taxi driver from Wallsend won the longest frame in Crucible history to defeat Luca Brecel 10-9 in the opening round. He followed that up with a superb 13-10 victory against three-time World Champion Mark Selby and a 13-9 win over Ali Carter.

Trump had the first scoring opportunity of the game, but his run ended on 46. Wilson stepped in and compiled a break of 61, but broke down and allowed Trump to clear the colours and move 1-0 up.

Wilson then restored parity, before a sublime break of 140 saw him take to the front at 2-1. However, 10-time ranking event winner Trump responded swiftly with a break of 54 on his way to claiming the fourth frame and levelling at 2-2.

The pair continued to trade frames. With the score at 3-3 Trump missed a straightforward red to the middle and allowed Wilson to step in and move 4-3 ahead.

Trump then ensured that the first session ended level, composing a break of 54 on his way to making it 4-4. They will return tomorrow afternoon at 2:30pm to play the second session of the best of 33 encounter.

source Worldsnooker