It was semi-finals day in York yesterday, with just one table in operation. We got two very different matches.

In the afternoon, Judd Trump had a surprisingly easy passage (WST report)

TRUMP BLITZES WILSON TO MAKE FINAL

Million pound man Judd Trump took six frames on the bounce to see off rival Kyren Wilson 6-2 and reach his fourth Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final in York. 

Incredibly, this afternoon’s win sees world number one Trump become the first ever player to earn over £1,000,000 in a single season before Christmas. The Ace in the Pack was victorious in the most lucrative frame in snooker history earlier in the campaign, when he beat Mark Williams 10-9 in a decider to win the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and scoop £500,000. 

Trump is seeking a second UK Championship crown, 13 years after his first, in tomorrow’s best of 19 final against either Mark Allen or Barry Hawkins. He lifted the famous trophy in 2011, when he scored a thrilling 10-8 win over Mark Allen in the title match. Trump appeared in two further finals in 2014 and 2020, losing 10-9 to Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson respectively. 

Today’s victory for Trump sees him enact revenge over World Champion Wilson, who has prevailed in their two previous meetings this season. Wilson claimed his first tournament wins as Crucible king with victories over Trump, beating him 10-8 in the Xi’an Grand Prix final and 9-3 in the Northern Ireland Open title match. 

This afternoon saw 32-year-old Wilson seize the initiative in the early stages. He made a break of 64 on his way to moving 2-0 ahead. However, little did he know at the time that would be the last frame win he registered in the tie. 

Trump gained a foothold in the match by winning the sixth, before a run of exactly 100 restored parity at 2-2 heading in for the interval. 

When play resumed, Trump won two tight frames, before firing home breaks of 65 in the seventh and 100 in the eighth to get over the line and make the final. 

“It was a tricky game. We both have a lot of respect for each other. At the start we were just trying to figure each other out. I got the upper hand and after the interval I scored a little bit heavier. My long potting was good. It wasn’t an absolute classic, but it is just about getting over the line when you aren’t at your best,” said 2019 World Champion Trump. 

“It definitely means a lot more to me than when I was younger. You know it’s not going to last forever. Being ranked number one in the world and doing what I’m doing, you aren’t going to be in that form forever. I’ve put in the work over the last five or six years and got the rewards. It gets harder as you get older. I want to make the most of it while I can.

“Even though I’ve reached the final a couple of times and lost 10-9 both times, you kind of get forgotten about. I’ve been so close to winning more titles here. Those little details shape your career. I could be on six or seven Triple Crowns now but I’ve come up short in a couple of finals. It is nice to have a chance to rectify that tomorrow.

“If you looked ten years ago you’d never have dreamed of winning a million pounds in a season. Taking that up a notch and winning it before Christmas is an amazing achievement. It is nice getting the rewards for being consistent. You see further down the rankings, to get into these invitational events you need to win a lot of money. People have been asking and moaning over the last ten years that the rewards aren’t there. If you have a good run in an event now there is a lot of money up for grabs.”

In the evening, or actually well into the night where I am, Barry Hawkins prevailed against Mark Allen (WST report):

HAWKINS PREVAILS IN MIDNIGHT MARATHON

Barry Hawkins came through a deciding frame to beat Mark Allen 6-5 in a gruelling late night battle to make the final of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York. 

With the clock just shy of 1am, the Hawk cracked in a stunning long range red to set up a steely winning clearance of 26 to book a place in his first ever UK final and fourth Triple Crown title match. 

Hawkins has won four ranking titles, but 28 years after first turning professional in 1996, he’s still hunting a maiden Triple Crown win. Having lost Masters finals to Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan and a World Championship final against the Rocket, Hawkins now faces Judd Trump tomorrow for the title and £250,000. 

The Londoner’s run this week has already seen him defeat O’Sullivan, before adding wins against David Gilbert and Shaun Murphy. This evening’s match was possibly the sternest test of his mental fortitude, with the game panning out in an attritional and fragmented manner. 

It was 2023 UK Champion Allen who led 4-2, before breaks of 57 and 84 helped Hawkins to restore parity at 4-4. Allen regained the lead and moved one from the win, but a superb 114 from Hawkins forced the final frame. After five hours and six minutes of play, he got over the line to seal a momentous win. 

Hawkins said: “It was an absolutely gruelling match. To come through one of those games, I’m over the moon. It wasn’t pretty to watch. I had one good frame to level at 5-5. I can’t remember many other frames that were any good. It was just a battle. I’m completely drained. 

“I stuck in there. I just kept trying, that is all you can do. I just tried not to beat myself up. When you are scoring bad and missing balls it becomes really hard. You never know what can happen, I’ve fell over the line tonight and I’m pleased I managed to dig in.

“It isn’t easy is it? Look at how many great players I had to beat this week. To get to another Triple Crown final is brilliant. I am really looking forward to playing Judd. It should be a great occasion. I’ll get the family up and I hope we put on a good performance.”

I’m not sure what to write about these semi-finals. I didn’t like what I saw from Kyren after Judd started to come back at him and it was 2 minutes short of 3 am where I live when the evening match finished. Needless to say, I had given up on that one well before it even neared its conclusion.

When I say that I didn’t like what I saw from Kyren, I’m not suggesting any foul play or lack of effort. Not at all. There were however quite a few shot selections I questioned given Judd’s current form and ability. I’m all for players being positive but when their opponent keeps potting anything from distance maybe it’s time to seriously further “tighten the bolts” as we say in French …

There were again complaints about the tables and, as usual WST dismissed them saying that the fitters work at the highest standards. That may well be the case but if true it means that the problem is elsewhere and they should seriously look into it. Having said that, if the issue is caused by external factors, there may not be any easy practical solution. When there is a big crowd of people wearing thick winter cloths saturated with humidity because of the outside weather and it’s necessary to heat the venue, it will feel damp no matter what.