JUDD TRUMP was frozen out of the Crucible as Mark Williams became the oldest world championship finalist.
The world No.1 will be jetting back to the warmth of Dubai after he lost 17-14 to wily old potter Willo in the semi-finals in Sheffield.
The record-break beat world No1 Judd Trump at the Crucible[/caption]
The 50-year-old Welshman – who gets prepped for matches by listening to Tom Jones’s Delilah on a loop – will take on exciting Chinese amateur Zhao Xintong over two days.
There is a 22-year age-gap and Xintong, 28, was THREE years old when Williams celebrated his first Crucible success in 2000.
Three-time world champion Williams came from 7-3 down against Trump and as befits someone who was an amateur boxer, he came out swinging, showing off his frame-craft and guile to reach a fifth world final.
This was a hugely disappointing result for pre-tournament favourite Trump, who was trying to earn £2million in prize money for the season.
Even though he will go home to the Middle East with that £100,000 bonus for reaching 100 centuries for the 2024-25 season, he would gladly swap all that dosh for a crack at a second title, six years after his maiden triumph.
The second session finished at 8-8 apiece but after losing frame 17, the first frame of the third session on Saturday, Trump complained to the referee about the chilly conditions.
The Bristol potter, 35, was unhappy with the cool temperature in the arena and wanted the heating turned up.
There was little heat coming from his cue as he lost that session 5-3 and Williams, whose first world final was in 1999 against Stephen Hendry, went back to his digs 13-11 up.
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In frame 25, Williams’s eight-minute break of 67 was enough to see him extend his lead to 14-11.
Fortune was not on Trump’s side and even when he appeared to have Williams involved in a decent safety battle in frame 26, he ended up conceding because he potted the last red by mistake.
Williams will face Zhao Xintong, who KO’d Ronnie O’Sullivan in the other semi[/caption]
When Trump missed an earlier red, someone in the crowd shouted, “how did you miss that, Judd?’ which irked the sport’s highest-ranked potter.
In frame 27, Trump made a 104 – his 13th century of the tournament – to close the gap to three frames.
Williams responded with a 100 and then Trump won frames 29 and 30, the latter with a 116, his 14th century in four matches.
Yet the older man guaranteed himself at least £200,000 and a shot at the top £500,000 prize with a match-winning 123, which he marked with a fist bump.
Williams has issues with his eyes, saying his sight is getting worse “by the month” and the balls are a blur to him.
At the Players Championship in March, he also claimed he could not even see the giant scoreboard at the end of the table, insisting: “I’m half-blind, my eyes have completely gone.”
On June 12, he is set to undergo lens replacement surgery, which costs about £4,000 per eye, to correct his vision.
But that operation is in doubt given how well he has played and following advice he has received from other players.
It is remarkable therefore that he managed to win a game, let alone four, this past fortnight.
But then snooker has always been a Country for Old Men – and Williams, the oldest of them all, could lift title No.4 after the best of 35 frames come Monday evening.
World Snooker Championship 2025
WE are now into the final days of what has been a THRILLING World Snooker Championship!
A new world champion will be crowned this year after Kyren Wilson crashed out in the first round.
Heavyweights such as John Higgins and Mark Selby have also fallen as we head to the final on Sunday and Monday.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was eyeing a record eighth world title but crashed out at the hands of the brilliant Zhao Xintong – who reached the final qualifying as an amateur after his ban.
In the other semi-final, World No 1 and tournament favourite Judd Trump is facing Mark Williams.
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