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Robertson topples Trump to seal Champion of Champions semi-final spot

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Robertson celebrates his victory over Trump (Credit: Matchroom Sport)

Neil Robertson booked his place in the Champion of Champions semi-finals on Wednesday with a hard-earned 6-4 victory over Judd Trump.

The Thunder prevailed in the battle of the former champions to set up a last-four clash with another left-hander in Mark Williams.

Robertson had lost each of his four previous meetings with Trump, and breaks of 90, 84 and 61 helped him establish 3-1 and 5-3 leads.

The winner of this event in 2015 and 2019, Robertson had to be patient as the contest became scrappy later on, but held his nerve to reach his sixth Champion of Champions semi-final.

“Incredible game,” he told ITV Sport. “Judd showed all his qualities as the great champion he is, especially over the past 18 months. His safety play, his discipline was incredible; I stayed with him and kept my discipline up as well.

“I think it’s a great testament to both players, fighting for every single point out there. The crowd stuck around as well to see the climax between Judd and I.”

This was a repeat of their epic 2019 final, in which Robertson produced a superb 137 total clearance to prevail in a deciding frame.

Trump – fresh from his 4-0 whitewash of Ding Junhui earlier in the day – drew first blood with a break of 69, but runs of 90 and 84 put Robertson 2-1 to the good.

The Australian, who withstood Ali Carter’s fightback from 3-1 down to come through his group semi-final in a deciding frame, then pulled two frames clear at the mid-session interval with contributions of 59 and 32.

The Ace responded after the break of 70, then won a tactical exchange on the yellow to pinch the sixth frame on the pink from 56-41 down.

Robertson regained the lead with runs of 61 and 34, before a 56-minute eighth frame eventually went his way on the pink after Trump left it over the right centre.

The 2021 champion rallied with 57 to keep his hopes of reaching a sixth successive Champion of Champions semi-final alive. He then overturned a 46-0 deficit to lead 68-51 in another lengthy 10th frame.

However, as it surpassed the 50-minute mark once more, Trump’s attempted safety on the brown caught the bump of the left centre before settling over the right corner.

Robertson knocked it in before rolling in a tricky blue, while pink and black followed – as did a huge surge of emotion and relief from the victor.

“That blue is definitely one of the highlight shots of my career in terms of the pressure and everything that was at stake,” he added.

“There’s not many players that would take that on. I just thought to give everything on that blue. A great last three balls to win the match and beat the best player in the world over the past 18 months.”

Trump said: “I thought I was very unlucky. [Neil] put in a good spell to go 3-1 up. After that, he missed quite a few long balls and got safe every time, so it was just one of those days.

“It was a tough game, it was very slow. It just got a bit bogged down out there.”

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Champion of Champions 2024 Results

Wednesday, November 13

Group Two Semi-Finals

Judd Trump 4-0 Ding Junhui
Ali Carter 3-4 Neil Robertson

Group Two Final

Judd Trump 4-6 Neil Robertson