Today, in Berlin, the 2024 German Masters Final will be contested between Judd Trump and Si Jiahui. Most fans were expecting a Judd Trump v Kyren Wilson final but Si had other ideas … I reckon that many of us had forgotten how well he played at the Crucible last year… yesterday he reminded us how good he is when on song!
Chinese 21-year-old Si Jiahui reached the first ranking event final of his career, beating Kyren Wilson 6-3 in the last four of the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
The talented cueist showcased his considerable ability on the sport’s biggest stage last year, reaching the World Championship semi-finals. Si had looked set to appear in the final, before surrendering a 14-5 lead to lose 17-15 against eventual champion Luca Brecel.
This week Si has beaten Mark Joyce, Alfie Davies, Yuan Sijun, Ryan Day and now Wilson en route to his maiden title match. He will face either Judd Trump or Sam Craigie over the best of 19 frames tomorrow, with a top prize of £80,000 and the Brandon Parker Trophy on the line.
If Si wins, he will move into the top 16 on the one-year list and earn a place in the upcoming Players Championship, despite having missed out on qualification for the World Grand Prix.
Wilson was victorious here in Berlin back in 2019 and has enjoyed a fine record in Germany, having won three of his five ranking titles in the country. Despite scoring an impressive 5-0 whitewash win over Fan Zhengyi yesterday and looking good to beat Neil Robertson 5-3 in the last 16, he falls short of a place in the final.
A break of 97 gave Wilson the opener this afternoon, before he added the second to establish a 2-0 advantage. However, it was at that point Si embarked on a five-frame blitz to establish a stranglehold on proceedings. Breaks of 54, 138, 90 and 55 helped him to move one from the win at 5-2.
The pace of play altered significantly and Wilson claimed a 38-minute eighth frame to remain in contention. However, it was Si who won a 39-minute ninth to get himself over the line and into the final.
“You can say I’m quite simple minded, because I have not thought about making it to another semi-final much since the run at the Crucible last year. I just focus on each shot without thinking about how many tables are featured in the arena. If I play well, I will make progress and if I lose I will have no regrets. It doesn’t matter who I am playing, it’s not going to change my shot selections.”
Si Jiahui
2023 World Championship Semi-Finalist
Si added: “I feel like I’ve got used to this venue very well, so even at 2-0 down I didn’t feel much pressure. I just relaxed out there because I know Kyren is a top professional. My form picked up and I managed to stay in a good mindset to close it out.
“This match was very like the World Championship. The audience has been so passionate and it is a massive crowd. It made me concentrate more.”
Judd Trump is through to his fourth BetVictor German Masters final, after defeating Sam Craigie 6-2 at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
The Ace in the Pack will face Chinese 21-year-old star Si Jiahui in the title match on Sunday, with the Brandon Parker Trophy and a top prize of £80,000 on the line.
Trump is flying high this week, having already secured the £150,000 BetVictor Series bonus with an event to spare ahead of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
An incredible display of consistency, which saw him win the BetVictor English and Northern Ireland Opens, as well as being runner-up at the BetVictor European Masters, has seen Trump win the series for a record extending third time.
Craigie exits the event having reached a ranking semi-final for the first time in his career. The Wallsend cueman scored a landmark 5-1 win over defending Ali Carter in the last eight, but today’s result sees him fall short of the final.
The first two frames this evening were shared, before an hard fought third went the way of Trump, after Craigie crucially went in off on the green. The Bristolian then added the fourth frame to head in for the mid-session 3-1 in front.
When play resumed, Trump pressed home his advantage with a break of 68 to take the fifth. Craigie hit back with 71 in the sixth to make it 4-2. However, Trump made contributions of 75 and 79 in consecutive frames to get himself over the line and into the final.
“There are bigger money events out there, but here it is a feeling that money can’t buy when you walk out there in the semi-final stage. It is a tournament that I always enjoy coming to. I look forward to it and try to get to the latter stages and experience that one-table atmosphere. It lived up to the expectations.”
Judd Trump
2019 World Champion
Trump added: “It is strange for me playing someone that young (Si Jiahui). I’ve come full circle. I was playing John Higgins in the world final at that age. I’m the one to be shot at now. He is a tremendous talent. The way he plays the game is amazing for Chinese snooker. He is very attacking, goes for his shots and is exciting to watch.”
TRUMP PREVIEWS SI CLASH
It’s interesting that both finalist mention the atmosphere and the passion of the crowd. Si compared the atmosphere he experienced yesterday to the World Championship, where he had experienced the one table setup at the Crucible last season. Judd claimed that it gave him a feeling no money can buy. Neal Foulds had said, ahead of the tournament, that the Tempodrom is a very special venue, with a terrific atmosphere when there is just one table, and the only place he’s been to that could replace the Crucible… maybe … only maybe, the seed is planted that the Crucible – a rather inadequate venue by nowadays standard – is not irreplaceable.
Image shared by WST on their website.
As for today’s final … given his experience and CV, Judd Trump has to be favourite … but I will be “Team Si”
Judd Trump put on a clinical display to beat old rival John Higgins 5-2 and make the semi-finals of the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
Victory sees Bristolian Trump defeat Higgins for the third time in a row, extending his head-to-head advantage over the Scot to 17-14.
Trump dished out two heartbreaking defeats to Higgins in their previous two meetings this season. He rallied from 3-0 down to win 6-5 at the BetVictor European Masters and came from 5-2 behind to beat Higgins 6-5 at the BetVictor English Open.
The pair have clashed on the sport’s grandest stages on a number of occasions. Higgins defeated Trump in the 2011 World Championship final and roles were reversed in the 2019 Crucible title match. However, today’s match was the pair’s first ever meeting at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.
Coming into the match, 2020 and 2022 German Masters winner Trump had the knowledge that he had already secured the bumper £150,000 payout for topping the BetVictor Series standings. He’s already lifted silverware at the English Open and the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
It was Trump who got out of the traps first this afternoon, making 71 to take the opener. However, breaks of 83 and 53 from Higgins helped him to establish a 2-1 advantage. Trump hit back with 78 in the fourth and ensured they went in for the mid-session level at 2-2.
Higgins led 53-0 in the fifth, but a brilliant clearance of 68 helped Trump to steal and take the lead. The next saw Higgins miss a straightforward red to the top left and Trump ruthlessly punished to move 4-2 ahead and one from victory. He wasted little time getting over the line, securing a 5-2 win and a semi-final with either Ali Carter or Sam Craigie.
“For the first five or ten years, he was always just getting over the line. Now I am able to do the same. Just at the important times, to pot the crucial balls. Today John missed an easy ball to go 3-3 and that was the difference.”
Judd Trump
26-time Ranking Event Winner
Trump added: “For me, he is still a good benchmark. We are meeting now where his level has probably just dropped slightly and mine has risen. Every time I play him I can still see he is up for it. I know it is going to be a fight. Along with Ronnie he is the benchmark. If I can beat that type of player I know I’m doing well.
“The venue comes into its own when you get down to that semi-final. This isn’t the biggest prize money tournament, but the atmosphere is probably second to none. It is right up there with the Masters in London and one I always want to get back to.”
Chinese 21-year-old Si Jiahui thrashed Welshman Ryan Day 5-1 to make just the second ranking semi-final of his fledgling career.
Si stunned the world back in May, reaching his maiden semi-final at the Crucible. His dominated his last four clash with Luca Brecel at the World Championship, but eventually succumbed to a 17-15 defeat.
Today saw Si put on a clinical display, firing in runs of 52, 96, 72, 75 and 73 to blitz to the impressive victory. He now faces either Kyren Wilson or Fan Zhengyi in the last four.
Sam Craigie will appear in the semi-final of a ranking event for the first time in his career, after scoring a landmark 5-1 win over defending champion Ali Carter at the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
The 30-year-old from Wallsend first became professional back in 2011, but bowed out in his two previous quarter-final appearances at the 2019 China Open and the 2022 UK Championship. Tomorrow he will step out in the single table setup at the iconic Tempodrom to take on Judd Trump.
In recent months Craigie has started working with coach Chris Henry and Rapid Transformational Therapist Ross Turner and has credited them with a turnaround in his mentality, which has led to achieving this evening’s momentous victory.
Carter’s title defence ends two wins short of a second straight trip to the final. Last year he lifted the Brandon Parker Trophy after a magnificent 10-3 defeat of Tom Ford in the title match. He has enjoyed a tremendous 12 months since then, reaching further finals at the Players Championship, Wuhan Open and the Masters.
Craigie blitzed to a 4-0 advantage this evening, hammering home breaks of 71, 65, 50 and 103 to get there. Carter crafted a typically gutsy 90 in the fifth to stay in contention. However, his resistance was to be short lived.
The sixth frame saw Craigie deposit the first ten reds with blacks as he chased a maximum break to win in style. However, he was unlucky to then pot two reds at once and deny himself the 147 chance. In the end his run finished on 89 as he secured the 5-1 victory.
“I stayed in the zone, just focussing on me. That is about it, trying to blank everything out and focus on my game. People have said it for years and years since I was young, that I have all the talent in the world. I just didn’t believe it. Every tournament I changed my cue action. In the last two months I haven’t changed my cue action. I’ve been able to enjoy playing.”
Sam Craigie
World Number 50
On the other table, 2019 German Masters winner Kyren Wilson reached his first semi-final of the season by demolishing Fan Zhengyi 5-0.
Wilson captured the title here at the Tempodrom five years ago when he scored a thrilling 9-7 win over David Gilbert. The Warrior enjoys competing in Germany, having claimed three of his five ranking event wins in the country.
This evening’s encounter saw Wilson make breaks of 125, 69, 51 and 55 on his way to victory. Next up he faces World Championship semi-finalist Si Jiahui in the last four.
I can’t really comment on the afternoon matches. I was marking the scores for snooker.org and there were three events underway simultaneously… I ended up up watching nothing properly … except live scores . In the evening, Kyren played extremely well and Fan was really poor. Fan started the match with a brilliant pot but that’s as good as it went for the lad who looked very downbeat and frustrated towards the end.
I’m looking forward to the Wilson v Si clash today. History is firmly in favour of Kyren: he’s won all their previous encounters bar one … Si’s only victory at the Shootout. Si though is a different animal now. If both play as well as they did in the tournament so far, it should be a treat!
Having not seen Sam Craigie in action in recent time, I have no idea how, or even if, he can give Judd Trump problems. I just hope we get to see a match, not an execution…
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Follow the links above to see the picture galleries on WST site.
Bulcsú Révész has won the 2024 WSF Junior Championship, held in Golem, Albania, to become the first snooker professional from Hungary. Bulcsú is only just 17 years old, he was born on January 1, 2007.
Congratulations Bulcsú!
Bulcsú beat Gong Chenzhi by 5-3 in the Final, and also scored the highest break of the tournament, a 130, in frame 3 of that final match. Some feat!
The event had a truly international field: 77 players from 23 different nationalities! Remarkably, Gong Chenzhi was the only player from China in the field. Also worth noting that, although the UK and Ireland accounted for nearly 40% of the field, and many Brits seem to think that they have the best amateurs, only one of their players, Oliver Sykes, reached the semi-finals. The fourth semi-finalist was a young lad from Pakistan, Hamza Ilyas. This shows that there are many excellent young players outside the UK, rarely seen or spoken about. Here is one more big reason for WST/WPBSA to seriously try to “break” the UK centric nature of the current organisation of the sport … if they have real ambitions to develop snooker world wide that is…
… I can only suppose that someone, a regular on this blog, is dancing and celebrating ! 😊
Bulcsu Revesz defeated Gong Chenzhi 5-3 in the final of the WSF Junior Championship to secure his status as Hungary’s first ever main tour professional.
Revesz becomes the fifth winner of the WSF Junior Championship, following Stan Moody’s victory last year in Sydney, Australia, and makes history for Hungarian snooker by becoming the first player from the country to earn a World Snooker Tour card.
He won the opening frame of the contest with a break of 60 before winning back-to-back frames, featuring a stunning 130 clearance, to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.
Gong battled back and drew level at 3-3 by taking a dramatic sixth frame on the black. The Hungarian held his nerve, however, to take the final two frames of the contest to win the WSF Junior title and earn a two-year World Snooker Tour card as a result.
Both players headed into the title match in fine form having dropped just four frames apiece in the knockout stages so far. The two had met in the group stages, however, in a match that saw Revesz win 3-1.
The Hungarian got off to a flying start with a break of 60 to take the opening frame and looked in command in frame two as he opened up a 44 point advantage. However, Gong was unphased and fired in a half-century of his own to level the game at 1-1.
A stunning break of 130, the highest of the tournament, followed from Revesz and he doubled his advantage by taking frame to lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
Gong took the first after the break to reduce the deficit before levelling the score in dramatic fashion in a seemingly pivotal sixth frame which came down to the colours.
Revesz was just a mid-range pink away from moving 4-2 ahead, but missed the pot and Gong calmly knocked in the two remaining balls to instead restore parity at 3-3.
The Hungarian refused the let the the disappointment of the previous frame effect him, however, as he took a hard-fought seventh frame to move one away from the title.
The drama reached its peak in frame eight as it once again went down to the colours, but this time Revesz made no mistake as potted the final few balls to secure victory before turning to the crowd with his arms aloft in delight.
Post-match Bulcsu reflected: “It’s just amazing, I didn’t expect anything before the tournament but I felt like I was getting better and better and before the final I just knew I was going to win.
“I missed the pink to go 4-2 up and so at 3-3 I was on the floor. I don’t know how, but I won the seventh frame and then I was back in the saddle again.
“I think I am going to have so many messages because every Hungarian player was supporting meet which is a brilliant feeling. I hope everyone is so happy and I hope this can inspire more players in Hungary. I have enjoyed playing since the age of eight and I still love it.
“To stay on tour after the first two years is my first goal. To be in the top 64 I will have to play even better than I have this week, but I know I can do it. I am looking forward to it.”
DAY FOUR SUMMARY: HIGGINS TURNS TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST
John Higgins revealed he’s enlisted the help of a sport psychologist for the first time in his career, after beating Mark Allen 5-2 at the BetVictor German Masters in Berlin.
The Scot suffered a cruel 6-5 defeat at the hands of Allen last month at the Masters. At that point decided he needed to take action on the mental side of his game and to work with a psychologist.
Higgins picked up the most recent of his 31 career ranking titles nearly three years ago at the 2021 Players Championship. He’s suffered a number of gut-wrenching losses in the years which followed. The Scot has appeared in five finals since and ended runner-up in all of them. His defeat to Allen at Alexandra Place was the final straw.
The off table work appeared to be helping four-time Crucible king Higgins’ performance in the arena this afternoon. He crafted breaks of 76, 103 and 69 during a match which he dominated to book a spot in the quarter-finals against Judd Trump, who defeated Thepcaiya Un-Nooh and secured the £150,000 BetVictor Series Bonus in the process.
“I’m trying to have a different mindset. I’m doing a few things off the table to try and get my mind right, which I’ve never done in my career. It is early days but it seems to be helping just now.”
John Higgins
Four-time World Champion
“I’ve got to do it. I can’t rely on myself. I’m not good enough to rely on myself. I maybe need a wee bit of help,” added 48-year-old Higgins.
“I’m speaking to a person just to try and have good thoughts. For too long now I’ve had negative thoughts. It is pleasing. I was 3-0 in front there and missed a blue to go 4-0. Mark came back to 3-2 and in other matches I might have thought I’d lose 5-3. There were more positive thoughts and it worked out.”
Former German Masters winner Kyren Wilson emerged victorious after a hard fought encounter with 2010 World Champion Neil Robertson, winning 5-3. Next up is a quarter-final clash with Fan Zhengyi, who defeated Tom Ford 5-3.
Defending champion Ali Carter eased to the last eight with a 5-0 demolition of fellow Essex cueman Zak Surety. Carter now plays Sam Craigie, after he scored a thrilling 5-4 win over Xu Si.
World Championship semi-finalist Si Jiahui defeated Chinese compatriot Yuan Sijun 5-3 to book his quarter-final slot. He now faces Welshman Ryan Day, who came through 5-2 over Belgian 20-year-old Julian Leclercq.
And hereafter is WST piece on Judd Trump’s bonus story (link in the text above)
TRUMP LANDS BV BONUS WITH EVENT TO SPARE
Judd Trump put on a stunning display to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the BetVictor German Masters, scooping the £150,000 BetVictor Series bonus in the process.
It’s the third time Trump has landed the lucrative payout, having won the series in 2020 and 2021. The prize is given to the player who accumulates the most prize money over the eight qualifying events.
Trump took home the title at the BetVictor English Open and the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, as well as being runner-up at the BetVictor European Masters. That, combined with his performance this week, means he takes home the prize with an event to spare ahead of this month’s BetVictor Welsh Open.
The Ace in the Pack was in scintillating form this evening, crafting breaks of 110, 132 and 80 en route to a 4-0 advantage at the mid-session. When play resumed, Un-Nooh hit back with breaks of 53 and 74 to halve his arrears. However, Trump fired over the line with a brilliant break of 139 to secure victory. He now faces a quarter-final clash with John Higgins.
Trump said: “I knew going into that game what I needed to do. There was that added incentive, that added bit of pressure. It wasn’t just a normal game. When I can play somewhere near my best it is always special, especially in that kind of arena, in that atmosphere.
“I’m very pleased to win it again. I’ve been consistent in all of the events. It is something that I look for at the start of a season. I try to lift the series every year. To do it with one event to go is good.”
TRUMP ON SERIES TRIUMPH
John Higgins turning to a sports psychologist for help surprised me a bit because, a few years ago, that was something he would never have considered. It seems to work for him though.
I’m not sure there is a player more “money driven” than Judd Trump. He’s a strong supporter of the Saudi Arabia coming event and would love having more events in Saudi Arabia too.
Here is Hendry discussing it as reported on twitter:
Julien Leclercq also lost yesterday, but his results in this event see him climb into the top 64 … just. His “cushion” over Sanderson Lam, currently 65th, is only 500 points. He’s also ranked 64th on the provisional one year list but he hasn’t qualified for the 2024 World Open and, as it stands, would become second on the “rescue” list should he drop out of the top 64. But, as always, it will all be about the World Championship…
DAY THREE ROUNDUP: HIGGINS AND ALLEN SET FOR CLASH
John Higgins will face Mark Allen in a mouth-watering last 16 clash at the BetVictor German Masters, after both players secured third round wins at the Tempodrom on Wednesday.
Higgins ensured his progression with a strong performance to beat China’s Zhou Yuelong 5-3. He looked in good touch this afternoon and composed breaks of 89 and 97 during the win.
The Glaswegian is gunning for a first piece of silverware in nearly three years, having claimed the most recent of his 31 ranking titles at the 2021 Players Championship. However, he has been runner-up in five finals during the intervening years.
After today’s match Higgins admitted he has been seeking a return to the mentality which has made him a four-time World Champion and one of the greatest of all-time.
“I am trying to work out what I did earlier on in my career. I think the word is that I was maybe more stubborn. I’m trying to get back to that and give myself a chance of winning. I can be too honest sometimes and tell people how I’m feeling. You can’t afford to in this game. You have to be totally focussed on your own game and not give an inch out there.”
John Higgins
Four-time World Champion
Higgins added: “Mark is one of the strongest players in the game now. Mentally and on the table, he puts everything into it. That is something you can learn from, to give everything to compete with these guys. That is what I will try and do going forward.”
Allen booked his progression with an edgy, but hard fought, 5-2 win over Joe O’Connor.
The first four frames this afternoon lasted nearly two hours, as they headed to the mid-session level at 2-2. When play resumed, Allen found his form and took three on the bounce to secure victory.
The Northern Irishman has already won two trophies this season, with victories at the Champion of Champions and the BetVictor Shoot Out. He heads into his encounter with Higgins knowing he won an epic contest at the Masters in their most recent meeting 6-5.
Only Higgins and Allen remain in contention to stop Judd Trump winning the £150,000 BetVictor Series bonus with an event to spare, ahead of the upcoming BetVictor Welsh Open.
Trump came through with a 5-2 defeat of Matthew Selt. The Ace in the Pack fired in breaks of 66, 97, 118 and 73 secure victory this evening. Trump now plays quickfire Thai Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Defending champion Ali Carter is through to the last 16 after beating China’s Pang Junxu 5-2. He will face Zak Surety, who will appear in the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. Surety scored a 5-2 win over Elliot Slessor.
Belgian 20-year-old Julian Leclercq booked his last 16 slot with an impressive 5-1 win over former Welsh Open champion Jordan Brown. He faces Ryan Day, who beat current Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins 5-1.
So, here goes. Xu Si earned his spot in the last 16 with a hard fought 5-4 win over Graeme Dott who is never easy to beat. There were rather comfortable wins for Yuan Sijun and Si Jiahui, but Fan Zhengyi really had to earn his place in the last 32. He beat Ben Mertens by 5-3 in a very high quality and entertaining match. All the frames, except the first two, were close and fiercely contested. They had five breaks over 50 between them, but actually, what impressed me the most, was the quality of the safeties those two young lads produced.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 