Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Judd Trump beats Zhang Anda to reach UK Championship semi-finals

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World number one Judd Trump produced a devastating display of attacking snooker on his way to a 6-2 win over Zhang Anda and the semi-finals of the UK Championship at the Barbican in York.

Trump, whose only title in this Triple Crown event came in 2011, opened up with an 89 break to win the first frame in less than 10 minutes.

He continued in the same vein with exhilarating breaks of 126, 120 and 131 in a rampant performance to lead 4-0 at the mid-session interval.

Having reached 527 points without reply in the fifth frame, Trump looked on course to eclipse Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record of 556, set in 2014 against Ricky Walden, before missing a red to the right corner on 61.

Zhang exuberantly celebrated finally potting a ball but Trump still won the frame and, though his opponent took the next two, the Englishman then sealed his victory with his fourth century of the match.

Trump will now face world champion Kyren Wilson or qualifier Michael Holt in the last four on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Barry Hawkins made five half centuries as he wrapped up a comfortable 6-2 victory over Shaun Murphy.

The world number 20, who had to come through two qualifying matches to reach the televised stages, had already defeated reigning champion O’Sullivan and David Gilbert, and was in impressive form as he reached only his second ever semi-final at the tournament.

While Murphy knocked in breaks of 108 and 92 to draw level from 2-0 down, Hawkins accelerated clear after the interval and scored 162 unanswered points to win the final two frames.

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