Champion of Champions LIVE – Murphy takes on Wilson after Trump races through

Murphy 1-1 Wilson (19-0)

It’s Shaun in at the start of frame three and you can see he really fancies this. A pot with the rest is followed by an expert’s steer to left corner, there are plenty loose balls about, and he should rack up a useful lead here – at the least.

Murphy 1-1 Wilson

That run of 58 sorts things for Gary, who really needed to win the frame. He did.

Murphy 1-0 Wilson (36-67)

Gary runs out of position on 58, fouls, and Shaun returns to the table with green to black on it, two snookers required.

Murphy 1-0 Wilson (32-43)

Good work from Gary, who looks much more settled now. He’s not a regular in this company – though he has the ability to be – but this run will help remind him that he belongs.

Murphy 1-0 Wilson (32-28)

Gary gets in but jawses a blue to right corner, so Shaun pounces only to botch a nasty cut-back – after missing a cannon – that leaves a chance; he missed that by miles. No excuse for Gary not to finish the frame from here, says Stephen.

Murphy 1-0 Wilson

Yup, Shaun sees it away, and on the evidence of that frame, he’s in nick and Gary is not.

Murphy 0-0 Wilson (54-6)

Oh! Shaun slots a gorgeous cut-back red … only to miss the blue to right corner. He’s surprised by this development, but when Gary powers down the blue, left over the pocket, he winds up on nowt and his safety is poor too, allowing Shaun to get back under way with a pot steered really carefully to right corner. This will be the frame.

Murphy 0-0 Wilson (30-0)

Gary qualified for this by winning the Scottish Open, Shaun thanks to the Players’, and he’s the one in first left a red and going after it from there. He looks in terrific touch, striking the ball as sweetly as ever.

Here come our players

Coming up next

Shaun Murphy (6) v Gary Wilson

Judd speaks

He feels close to his best and says that every time he gets in he’s going to “score heavy”; that if it gets close, he’s always got another gear. It’s such a nice feeling when you win, on and off the table, so he can’t have anyone saying winning one or two majors is better than winning six other titles – I doubt he really thinks that, though he thinks he does – and there’s no better feeling than going home at the end of the week with no one having beaten you.

Judd Trump beats Baipat Sriapaporn 4-0!

Judd cruises into the group final. I fear Baipat will feel she didn’t do herself justice – she didn’t – but hopefully she’ll be better and wiser for the experience.

Trump 3-0 Sriapaporn (63-7)

Yup, Judd makes the match safe, and again, there’s a ton out there for him.

Trump 3-0 Sriapaporn (32-7)

Finding himself running tinto the pack, it looks like end of break, but Judd slides an expert’s pink into left-middle, the angle dead acute, and this looks a lot like curtains.

Trump 3-0 Sriapaporn (9-7)

Baipat just can’t get anything going and when she misses a red to the green, Judd sticks it away and works his way up the table. It’ll take some work to finish the match from here, but I’d not be surprised to see it happen.

Trump 3-0 Sriapaporn (0-6)

left one to left-middle, Baipat sends it down and the way the balls are, this is an opportunity for her to score…

Trump 3-0 Sriapaporn

Nope, Judd misses a blue to middle so has to settle for a mere 3-0 lead. Pathetic.

Trump 2-0 Sriapaporn (56-1)

Judd removes the reds near the top cushion and if he can deal with the clustered ones, there’s a ton out there for him.

Trump 2-0 Sriapaporn (19-1)

A tactical start to the frame, the Judd sends one long to the yellow, adds a black, and begins picking. There are six reds on rails and the black is too, so this won’t be an easy break, and shonuff a miss soon hands Baipat a red to go at down the side rail; she dispatches it nicely … but undercuts the pink and again, I fear Judd’s reprisal will be swift and painful.

Trump 2-0 Sriapaporn

Judd is in total control. He’s not playing that well, but Baipat isn’t playing well enough to capitalise on any errors.

Trump 1-0 Sriapaporn (51-8)

Again, no! Judd misses … but then so does Baipat, a cut-back black to left corner. I’m not making any bold claims, but this is 2-0.

Trump 1-0 Sriapaporn (32-7)

Or not! Too focused on position, Judd misses blue to left-middle and Baipat has plenty at which she can go. But playing a red to left corner at power, she misses the pot by a way, scatters balls all over, and sends the pink into the side. That will surely cost her the frame.

Trump 1-0 Sriapaporn (23-0)

Oh man! Baipat leaves a long tempter off the break and Judd creams it right into the heart of right corner. So far this season, he’s won the English, Wuhan and Northern Ireland Opens, not bad – he said before this match that he fancies winning every tournament so he ends up playing them all, but if he does keep it up he’ll want some time off before the Worlds to get focused. Baipat is, I’m afraid, in a lot of trouble.

Trump 1-0 Sriapaporn

Baipat had chances, but she missed them and you can’t do that against Judd, especially when he’s playing as he is.

Trump 0-0 Sriapaporn (78-15)

Yup, Judd secures the frame, and he’s in such great form at the moment – he’s made 43 tons having made 45 in the entirety of last season; if he keeps at it, Neil Robertson’s record of 103 in a year will be under threat.

Trump 0-0 Sriapaporn (30-15)

Not for long. Baipat slots a nice starter, then sticks a decent blue to the yellow. But when she misses a thin cut to left-middle, she leaves the world, and this could well mean the frame.

Trump 0-0 Sriapaporn (30-9)

Judd runs out of position so plays safe, the Baipat misses to left corner only to underhit his attempted snooker. This is getting scrappy.

Trump 0-0 Sriapaporn (16-9)

Baipat, who qualified for this competition by winning the women’s World Championship, sinks a red following the break, but misses a blue; no matter, because Judd – who reaches her back in princely form – misses his starter. So Baipat gets back to work but finding the black’s route to the pocket blocked by a red, she plays safe … and sends the latter down. So Judd strikes home a tremendous ball to left corner; let’s see if he can fashion a chance.