John Higgins and Judd Trump, who have met in two Crucible finals, will go head-to-head in the semi-finals of the BetVictor English Open after both scored emphatic 5-1 wins in Brentwood on Friday afternoon.
Higgins saw off Martin O’Donnell while Trump got the better of Matthew Selt, setting up an intriguing contest on Saturday at 1pm. The pair last met in the semi-finals of the BetVictor European Masters in August when Trump edged through 6-5, and the Englishman will hope for a repeat result against all-time legend Higgins.
Scotland’s 48-year-old Higgins will contest his 82nd ranking event semi-final and is two wins away from a 32nd title and first since the 2021 Players Championship. He has already seen Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams win titles this season and hopes to become the third member of the famed ‘Class of 92’ to lift a trophy within the space of three weeks.
Higgins started strongly with breaks of 67 and 59 to take the opening frame. O’Donnell levelled, only for his opponent to make 82 and 77 to lead 3-1 at the interval. Frame five was in the balance until Higgins, leading 49-27, dropped a tricky red into a centre pocket and added the points he needed to extend his advantage. And the four-time World Champion sealed the result with a run of 70 in the sixth.
“In my last couple of matches I have hit the ball really well,” said Higgins. “Martin will be disappointed because it was a big match for him and he missed a couple which he has not been missing this week. I will need to take my chances against Judd tomorrow. I love playing him, I have brought the best out of him in some of our matches and he has done the same to me. I love competing against him because he has been a breath of fresh air for our game for many years. It’s a game I relish.
“At the end of last season I made some tweaks to my cue and then I started playing to a better standard, I have been more compact and had more confidence. I want to try and win big titles. It would be great to join two great champions in Mark and Ronnie, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Trump is seeking his first ranking title since the Turkish Masters in March 2022, and he enjoyed another comfortable victory over the same player he beat in that final in Turkey. The Bristol cueman shared the first two frames with Essex potter Selt, but then pulled away to take four in a row with top breaks of 137 and 103.
Trump beat Higgins in the 2019 Crucible final, gaining revenge for defeat in 2011
World number five Trump is through to his 55th ranking event semi-final and the left-hander remains on course for a 24th career ranking title.
“It was a tricky start to the game,” said 34-year-old Trump. “Matt missed a ball at 1-1 and it changed after that, I punished him. Every time he missed the balls were going over the pocket. I upped my game in the second half of the match.
“I don’t think I’m too far away from really enjoying my snooker. I’ve had a good start to the season and it would be nice to convert one of these into a tournament win. When you lose, people think you’re not playing well. But they aren’t actually looking at how you played. I haven’t played my best yet, it’s there in spells. Hopefully I’ll save that for the semi-final and final.”
