Judd Trump won Sunday’s Champion of Champions final after whitewashing Kyren Wilson, his rival on Friday night.
The Juddernaut beat the world No5 6-0 at University of Bolton Stadium, as he tries to achieve his first win in the prestigious tournament which honors the winners of the previous year.
Most view Trump as the game’s best player currently despite his world No2 ranking behind Mark Selby after winning 11 titles in the last two seasons.
And the former world champion will seek to claim another coveted prize and the £150,000 winner’s cheque over the best of 19 frames tomorrow.
Trump’s previous two finals in this event have resulted in defeats to Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson.
Wilson said: “I am chasing Judd down – and looking at who is above me.”
Trump’s victory seemed to have only been a spark for his opponent, as he completely destroyed Kettering.
Trump will take on either Yan Bingtao, John Higgins, or Yan Bingtao. The UK Championship is next week. Trump is hoping for his first tournament success.
Trump said: “Winning the first frame settled me down and after that I kept Kyren on the back foot.
Can Trump win the Champion of Champions tournament? Please share your views with us in the comments below.
Get the most recent football news right at your fingertips.
Sign up now for the Silver Screen Beat email newsletter!
You will never miss any of the most important news about transfer or agenda-setting stories.
How do I sign up?
It takes just seconds.
Simply enter your email address in the box at top of the article and click’subscribe.
That’s all. Each morning you will receive an email containing all the most important news stories.
Click this link to find out more about our email newsletter.
“I stayed positive, there were a couple of frames where got in first and I nicked them. You have to keep your foot on the gas and take the match by the scruff of the neck.
“You know if you don’t the top players can come back at you. I can play better and have not really stepped out of second gear this season so far and nowhere near my brilliant best.
“My B and C games seems to be good enough against some of the top players.”
Wilson appeared unsure and anxious from the start. Trump capitalized upon multiple errors to jump into a 4-0 lead at interval. Trump was helped by breaks of both 88 and 82.
Wilson had a chance to get one back, but Trump was able to take five more with six to play.
And he soon closed out the contest – the first whitewash in a longer match between the pair.
John Higgins also knows that the greatest doubter he can prove wrong is him.
The semi-finals of Champion of Champions at University of Bolton Stadium will be contested by Yan Bingtao (Chinese rising star) on Saturday night.
The memories of the Masters final defeat to Higgins in January, a four-time world champion, are still fresh, even though he has beaten him twice this season.
Higgins was a veteran of the tour with 31 ranking titles and 30 years, but he appeared to be at a crossroads in his career after losing the English Open final 9-8 defeat to Neil Robertson.
After Mark Allen’s win in Northern Ireland, it was Mark Allen’s second consecutive 9-8 loss.
In an emotional TV interview, Higgins stated: “I think these last two finals have shown that I have not got it at this level.”
However after a 6-1 thrashing of old rival Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals at the Champion of Champions – an event he won in 2016 – the pain had eased a little.
Higgins said: “I know some people are saying that was a crazy statement from me, but until I get to that position to get over the line again we will never know.
“But I am one match away from giving myself another chance to do it and I’ll be trying my damndest on Saturday night.
“Maybe it was half heat of the moment in Milton Keynes, you are clearly disappointed after losing a second final 9-8 in a row.
“I hope that speech after the English Open gets replayed in the future – for the reason that I have won something again.
“Maybe like that Steve Redgrave moment where he said ‘Shoot me if I get in a boat again’ and then won another Olympic gold medal four years later.”
Higgins as one of the first to see Yan’s talent at first hand, when he and Stephen Maguire lost in the World Cup final to the then 15-year-old and Zhou Yuelong.
He also added: “You could tell from then there was something different about him compared to the other young players – it was just his manner and steely will to win.
“He is a great competitor and even losing has never shake his confidence, he’ll still look you in the eye.
“And I have always sought him out for a practice if I have been in his Academy in Sheffield! Sometimes it is the other way around, with the young players asking you.”
