Si reaches Wuhan Open final after wonderful 147 against Trump
Si Jiahui produced a wonderful 147 break on the way to a 6-2 victory over Judd Trump that booked his place in the Wuhan Open final.
The local favourite delighted his home crowd on Friday at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center (COVCEC), where he secured a showdown with compatriot Xiao Guodong in Saturday’s showpiece.
Si’s magical moment came in the fourth frame of his clash with Trump – who he had failed to beat in their six previous meetings, including last season’s German Masters final.
The 22-year-old held his nerve to compile the first maximum break of his career, and the fourth this season and 206th in tournament snooker.
Reigning champion Trump had won the opening frame with 109, but Si responded with a magnificent 144 total clearance before a run of 61 was followed by his magical maximum.
The world number 13 did not relent with an 81 counter clearance in frame five, while further breaks of 108 and 71 saw him over the line.
“This time, I kept a calm mindset playing against Judd,” he told WST. “I’ve lost a lot of matches whilst making 60+ breaks against him before, so I didn’t think too much about beating him. Today, I didn’t feel much pressure, so I played very smoothly.
“Luck was on my side and I’m really happy to have made a 147. I’ve seen a lot of professional players make their first and second maximum breaks, but I hadn’t even made one. I’ve been eager to score one and, today, I finally did it.”
Meanwhile, despite seeing his title defence come to an end, world number one Trump could only applaud his inspired opponent.
“This is the best performance there has been against me, by quite far,” he said. “Apart from maybe John Higgins and the odd Ronnie performance, this is as well as you can play.
“He wasn’t even touching the knuckles, everything was going in clean. It was like an exhibition game for him at the end. He was enjoying it so much and would have wanted to stay out there all night.
“From what I’ve seen, he is an absolute mile clear of anyone his age or within five years of him. It is difficult to keep playing like that, but it shows he has got it in there. Now people have seen that, there will be a lot more pressure on him to win the World Championship and win events.”
Si’s reward is a showdown with Xiao, who recovered from 4-1 down to deny compatriot Long Zehuang 6-4 and progress to his third ranking final.
World number 70 Long, appearing in his first ranking semi-final, hit back-to-back centuries of 141 and 104 to move within two frames of extending his fairy-tale run into the showpiece.
However, Xiao was not to be denied, roaring back with breaks of 130, 112 and 91 on the way to sealing his first ranking final appearance for seven years.
WATCH THE WUHAN OPEN STREAMED LIVE HERE
18+ | T&Cs Apply | Geo restrictions may apply | Please Gamble Responsibly
Wuhan Open 2024 Results
Friday, October 11
Semi-Finals
7am
Xiao Guodong 6-4 Long Zehuang
12.30pm
Judd Trump 2-6 Si Jiahui