By elliott wes
After what has been a thrilling week of snooker in Yushan today was all about who would compete for tomorrow’s final. The first clash was between Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Kyren Wilson. Both players have different styles but united in their quest to win titles. Wilson, the current German Open champion and Thepchaiya, the current Shootout victor laid battle and it was Wilson who motored first. Perhaps playing the Thai caused some of his game to rub off onto Kyren because he was deeply attacking in the match, opening up a 3-0 lead at the start of the match. With this lead Thepchaiya had a lot to think about and had to act fast to chip away at his opponent’s dominant lead. The Thai managed to get his first frame on the board and so the battle began with Un-Nooh gradually building up momentum that led to nip and tuck with the score line altering to 4-2, Wilson.
However with the match at Wilson’s mercy, Thepchaiya broke loose and won a missed final black by the Thai in frame eight, took the score line to 5-3 but then the Thai dominated the rest of the match coming back from 4-1 down to win the match after a deciding final frame. This 6-5 win was a classic and just reminds me how good a play Un-Nooh is. He definitely needs to win a major title to prove to critics that the Shootout win doesn’t mean anything. This will be the biggest cheque that a Thai player has ever received, superseding the £70,000 made by James Wattana in the World Matchplay.
The second semi-final was a tough match between John Higgins and Judd Trump. Trump, currently on the crest of a wave with his snooker form met his table opponent Higgins. John has unknowingly been inspirational in the building of Trump’s career since he was first defeated by the Scot in the World Championship. This ignited Judd and made him determined to win a title soon afterwards. This came with his Shanghai Masters win and subsequent UK Championship title.
Judd had to watch out prior to this match that when it came to the real thing he had to win this billed close match. Higgins had won most of these in the past and so Trump had something to prove by taking the first frame. Six is the magic number and the first player to six frames would book their place in the final. A break of 50 in the second frame brought it to 1-1. Higgins then chose to overtake Judd by taking the next two frames with breaks of 50 and 52. Both players were not at their best today with Trump not quite managing to kill off the frame for Higgins. This left the door slightly ajar for the Scot and allowed him to chip away in the match.
So with the match at 5-4 to Trump, there a battle for the frame with Trump on a break of 59, went wrong in the black and then late fouled after failed to get out of a snooker and leaving John a free ball. Higgins needed to pot all the remaining colours up to the pink and with a puff to his cheeks, took the match into another deciding frame thriller.
With Judd ill at ease and knowing that he had never won a decider, five in total, playing Higgins in their 13-8 head to head statistics. Jude broke off in a match that that had become a bit of an epic. The first chance went to Higgins but missed his first black and allowed Judd to build up a 55 break. Jon then took a fi or die red into the middle bag and got it leaving Judd feeling queasy. With a difficult table, he missed a pink and a mighty relieved Trump potted the black, leaving John needing snookers.
Higgins had the stuffing knocked out of him and with another great red to the middle bag, Trump took the match, 6-5. Perhaps they should rename Judd the “Comeback Kid after this tournament with the number of deciders he has had to play. This player really puts you through the wringer at the moment with plenty of nail biting moments but is a sheer joy to watch.
Tomorrow he will play Thepchaiya in the final and what a great final this will be with both players wanting to win this title for different reasons. Trump will win his thirteenth ranking title if he succeeds and Thepchaiya, his second but of course his first major title.
Only the course of time with reveal the outcome!
