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Judd’s thrilling triumph trumps all the others
Posted On Jan 18 2016
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The world No. 7 was deemed favourite heading into his clash with Stuart Bingham after an impressive first-round performance but was well below his best as Bingham booked a semi-final with Ronnie O’Sullivan thanks to a 6-3 triumph.
He needs only three more frames when the final resumes at 7pm on Sunday evening to claim the £200,000 first prize and a sixth Masters title to go with his successes in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014, matching old foe Stephen Hendry’s record from the 1990s.
“But I had a feeling it was going to take someone playing absolutely out of their skin to beat me this week and it proved to be the case”.
“I’m disappointed with my performance today, I didn’t give him a game today at all”.
“I feel like I can go out and play well every game”.
“Being involved in such a great match isn’t much consolation in terms of what I was trying to achieve by winning three major events in a row”, said Robertson, who won the Champion of Champions and UK Championship at the end of 2015.
“I watched Barry play in his semi-final and I knew I needed to raise my level and I was able to do that”.
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The 40-year-old fought back from one frame down to pull ahead 5-1 before world number two Bingham, the reigning world champion, potted 11 reds and ten blacks in frame seven before his hopes of a 147 ended when he missed the black on 81.
Judd Trump advanced into the semi-finals of the Masters tournament with a century break in the final frame of a 6-5 win over Australia’s Neil Robertson at London’s Alexandra Palace on Friday. “For me, that was a big win”. “I am delighted to play as well I have”, O’Sullivan told BBC Sport.
“If someone said I would have got to the final, I would have ripped their arm off. [But] it is hard to take positives, even though I played well most of the week”. I feel very flat in myself.
A missed red from O’Sullivan in the 10th did not prevent him from returning to the table and building a 66 break on the back of a tremendous long pot.
