Tenacious Trump reaches World Grand Prix final after Ronnie rout

Jonathan Davies in World Grand Prix 18 December 2020

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Ronnie O’Sullivan recovers to see off wasteful Wilson at World Grand Prix

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O’Sullivan and Trump collide for the 2022 Champion of Champions crown (Photo by WST)

Judd Trump breezed through to the World Grand Prix final following a commanding 6-1 rout of Ronnie O’Sullivan in Milton Keynes.

The world number one hit back-to-back centuries on the way to reaching his eighth ranking event final of 2020 at the Marshall Arena.

It will also be Ace’s fifth appearance in the showpiece from eight ranking tournaments in what has been a relentless start to this season.

Trump, who will play Mark Selby or Jack Lisowski in Sunday’s final, was eyeing a fifth victory over O’Sullivan in six attempts, including a 9-7 success in the Northern Ireland Open showpiece last month.

Despite the natural fluency and free-flowing style of play deserting both players, the Bristolian opened up a 3-0 lead after winning three scrappy frames on the colours.

Aiming to add to the English Open and Northern Ireland Open crowns he has already captured this term, the 31-year-old looked good for a 4-0 cushion at the mid-session interval, but broke down on 65 after overcutting a tricky red to the left corner.

O’Sullivan calmly cleared with 71 – playing a tremendous positional shot from pink to black – to snatch the frame from under his opponent’s nose.

Undeterred, Trump hit back with consecutive centuries of 100 and 107 moving him to the brink of victory, which he secured thanks to a run of 69.

Earlier in the day, his good pal Lisowski also hit two tons on the way to a 5-3 win over Zhao Xintong.

Despite breaks of 111 and 109, the Cheltenham cueist was pegged back three times by his fellow left-hander, but held his nerve to secure a first ranking event semi-final appearance in a year.

Standing in his way is the in-form Selby – winner of this season’s European Masters and Scottish Open – after the three-time World champion beat Iran’s Hossein Vafaei by the same scoreline.

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