The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters enters the semi-finals stage on Friday with two blockbuster showdowns featuring four of snooker’s biggest names locked in at the Green Halls, with top seed Judd Trump set to face Shaun Murphy then Welshman Mark Williams takes on China’s Si Jiahui.
With all to play for in the race for pro snooker’s new major championship, Thursday’s quarter-final matches saw top seed and tournament favorite Trump continue his blistering form. A 6-3 win against Australia’s Neil Robertson sent the former world champion through to the 63rd ranking event semi-final of his career with many tipping ‘The Ace in the Pack’ to go all the way this weekend.
Awaiting the 28-time ranking event winner in the last four is Murphy, another ex-world champion producing some outstanding snooker in Riyadh this week. The world no.7 saw off Xiao Guodong 6-2 to set up a replay of the Shanghai Masters final in July, where Trump emerged victorious against his fellow Englishman.
Meanwhile, the second semi-final will see China’s Si Jiahui continue his quest for a maiden ranking title after the 22-year-old defeated seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. All square at 2-2 heading into the interval, Si established a three-frame lead to move within one of victory at 5-2 before O’Sullivan responded with back-to-back frames to make it 5-4. But a break of 82 in the tenth frame secured a famous victory for Si, who meets three-time world champion Williams next.
Welshman Williams whitewashed the in-form Jimmy Robertson 6-0 in his quarter-final to move within touching distance of the 42nd ranking event final of his glittering career. The semi-final between Williams and Si sets up a battle between generations in an enticing encounter to close out Friday’s action.
The winners from Friday’s semi-finals will then face off in Saturday’s final at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://webook.com/en/snooker-masters-2024.
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