Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson prevail in tense deciders to reach Masters Quarter-Finals
Trump is through to his second ranking final in two weeks (Photo by John Walton/PA Images)
Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson held their nerve to edge out Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham in last-frame deciders on Wednesday and set up a clash in the Quarter-Finals of The Masters.
Trump, the 2019 Masters Champion, overturned a 4-3 deficit to deny 2018 champion Allen 6-5 in a high quality encounter.
The world number two fired in three centuries on his way to victory as he thrilled a packed Alexandra Palace crowd.
“Wow, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Trump. “I’ve lost a few close ones this season, you lose belief, but to battle back and finish it how I did I’m so proud of myself.
“I couldn’t help it [the fist pump]. Usually I’m quite reserved but the crowd picks you up and I like the rowdiness of this London crowd, it is amazing.
“I’m just getting warmed up. There are some amazing Quarter-Final matches and I am so happy to still be in it.”
Trump set his stall out in style with a break of 101 to kick off the match, and after Allen had hit back immediately with a break of 92, ‘The Ace in The Pack’ made his second 101 break to regain the lead.
Allen edged a hard-fought fourth frame to level again, but only for Trump to reply with a break of 88 for a 3-2 advantage.
The nip and tuck nature of the match continued as Allen made a 65 to take frame six, before edging the seventh to go in front for the first time.
A pivotal moment in the contest then saw Trump recover from a snooker required to snatch the eighth frame before powering in a 135 clearance to make it 5-4.
Allen, though, dominated frame ten to force a decider, but a break of 62 proved decisive as Trump got over the line and gave a celebratory fist pump.
The evening session saw Wilson progress to a third consecutive Masters Quarter-Final courtesy of a nail-biting last-frame win over 2020 champion Bingham.
Wilson, the 2018 runner-up, looked to be cruising at 4-1 up but feathered the cue ball and declared a foul on himself, gifting Bingham a route back into the game.
The Essex cueist reeled off three consecutive frames to level and went on to force a decider, but it was Wilson who held firm to edge over the line.
“I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself,” Wilson admitted to Eurosport in reference to the foul in frame six. “It was one of those where, when it happens, you question whether you did feather it or whether it was in your head.
“My initial instinct was to get up, so I’ve obviously touched the white, I couldn’t have lived with myself if I went on from there to clear up and go 5-1 up.
“I’ve got to give myself massive credit for holding it together because that was a massive turning point.
“I just think I’m a big time player, you put me out there in the lion’s den with one table, a massive crowd and lots of pressure, I seem to thrive off that.
“That’s what I enjoy and that’s what I turned professional to be involved in.”
Wilson settled into the contest quickly and raced into a 3-0 lead with breaks of 57, 82 and 79.
Bingham got off the mark prior to the interval with a break of 96 but only for Wilson to return with an 83 break to restore a three-frame advantage.
The key moment then arrived in frame six as Wilson attempted a red with the rest but appeared to feather the cue ball before striking, declaring a foul on himself and handing Bingham a chance to steal the frame, which he duly accepted with a fine clearance.
Bingham went on to make a 53 break in the next frame before setting a new tournament high break target of 139 to level the match at four-all.
Wilson stopped the rot with breaks of 69 and 56 in frame nine, but Bingham found his scoring range once more with a superb clearance of 132 to force a decider.
The first chance fell to Bingham but he failed to capitalise, and after a tense safety exchange, Wilson forged the key chance and kept his composure to clear the remaining colours and set up a Quarter-Final clash with Trump on Friday.
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Masters Snooker 2022 Day Four Results
Wednesday January 12
Round One
Judd Trump 6-5 Mark Allen
Kyren Wilson 6-5 Stuart Bingham