German Masters Snooker 2020 Semi-Finals preview and order of play: Final four face off in Berlin

A quartet of World Championship winners form a stellar Semi-Final line-up at the 2020 German Masters in Berlin on Saturday.

The second ranking event of the new decade has seen the cream rise to the top at the Tempodrom with four decorated stars left in the running for the £80,000 title.

However, despite their collective success, none of the final four have previously had their hands on the trophy, with having finished runner-up.

The opening Semi-Final sees reigning World Champion Judd Trump take on 2006 World Champion Graeme Dott.

The pair cannot be separated in terms of their head-to-head record, having claimed five wins apiece from their ten previous encounters, the most notable of which a Quarter-Final at The Crucible in 2011, won 13-5 by Trump.

Trump was runner-up here in 2014 and is looking to add this title to his 14 other ranking triumphs, which have included four in the last 12 months.

The Bristol ace thrashed Noppon Saengkham 5-1 in Round One before defying a brace of tons from Luca Brecel to wrap up a 5-2 win and going on to thrash Michael Georgiou 5-1 with two centuries of his own.

Victory for the world number one would see him through to his fourth ranking final in eight appearances this season, a stat which bodes well given his unbeaten record in ranking finals since 2017.

Dott, meanwhile, has reached his first ranking Semi-Final in traditional snooker since this very event two years ago – when he finished runner-up to Mark Williams.

The tenacious Scot, who last claimed a ranking title back in 2007, has continued his superb record in this competition, having reached a further two Semi-Finals in addition to his runner-up spot.

Dott has seen off Tian Pengfei, Mark Williams and Matthew Selt en route to the Semi-Finals and will be quietly confident of stopping Trump in his tracks.

The second Semi-Final presents a familiar fixture as Neil Robertson takes on Shaun Murphy for the 27th time in professional competition.

Robertson has stretched his unbeaten run in the new European Series to eight matches to remain on course for back-to-back titles following last week’s European Masters success.

The Australian ace is already well on course to scoop the £150,000 BetVictor European Series bonus for the most successful player in the quartet of events which also includes the Shoot-Out and the Gibraltar Open.

Robertson, who has claimed a televised title every year since 2006, has dropped just one frame en route to the Last Four, thrashing Ian Burns 5-1 before whitewashing Mitchell Mann and Elliot Slessor.

Murphy is out to go one better than his runner-up spot here in 2015 after winning through to a fourth German Masters Semi-Final since 2012.

The reigning China Championship winner has dispatched Tom Ford, Scott Donaldson and Zhao Xintong so far this week and is aiming to improve on a record of nine wins from 26 previous meetings with Robertson.

Both of their encounters this season over a best of 11 format have gone to deciding frames, with Murphy prevailing in the International Championship before Robertson gained his revenge en route to glory at the Champion of Champions.

The action gets underway from 1pm GMT, with Semi-Finals to be contested over the best of 11 frames.

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German Masters 2020 Match Schedule

All times GMT (Local time one hour ahead)

Saturday February 1

Semi-Finals

1pm
Judd Trump v Graeme Dott

7pm
Neil Robertson v Shaun Murphy