The Rocket Survives A Thriller | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Judd Trump | 2018 Players Championship

It'll be interesting to see what happens here in frame 3, if he does get a chance. Can he get going at last? Because it doesn't take much for him to step it up, we know that. Could do with this just slowing up. In some ways he played it too well, he played it as the shots are nothing. If he misses the red he gets a good cue ball, but he'd rather be a couple of inches off the cushion for the brown. And similar there really, that could have finished better, he's in the middle of everything. That's a great putt, but he's not got into the pack. And again, it would have been a good safety there actually, but he didn't get into that pack of reds. But his patience has been pretty exemplary this season, he's taken his medicine when he's had to in matches. Whereas years ago that wasn't always the case. Good putt, a bit unlucky with the in-off. Now this is a test of O'Sullivan's long potting. And he's on the black, so is this the moment where O'Sullivan arrives in this match? No. Yeah, a couple of little winces in the audience, that red just caught the jaws but it dropped. Important visit you feel this for O'Sullivan, he's yet to settle but this is a chance to do that. He's seen Trump look very confident and positive going for his shots, determined to take the game to him. It's a 1-3-4 in their 4th frame, a 100 in their 8th frame and a 1-2-1 in the last, the 9th to win 6-3. So, really turned it on again after a slow start. Trump went in-off remember, potting a long red to leave a long red for O'Sullivan to the left corner, which he knocked in to start this break. Yeah, that was not straightforward. And okay, he's covered the pocket, but he'd rather the black had gone in. Playing a double with the belief that he wouldn't be leaving anything if he missed it. Nearly left the chance and O'Sullivan has knocked it in and surely he's going to take the frame now. Just needs a colour. 9. So, not a quick kill in terms of a big break, but he's won the frame and that should, you feel, settle Ronnie O'Sullivan down. 14. Referee's got to get this brown back on its spot. 19. The ref can't get to the pocket. Ronnie O'Sullivan. So, Ronnie O'Sullivan in the end has dominated that third frame. Oh, he's mishit that one. Ooh. I think he's just alright for the black. The cue ball just kept running. 9. 17. 25. Well, he just looks sharper all of a sudden, having won that last frame. Body language has changed here. 33. And he's still on blacks. He's made 13 1-4-7s, remember, Ronnie O'Sullivan. 49. Well, we'll see here if he plays for the black. Not play for the black. So, no maximum. 63. Needs another red after this black. Hoping they might see a maximum, but what they have seen is O'Sullivan get his act together. First two frames he was struggling. He won not a great third frame, but has turned it on in style here in the fourth. And it could still be the highest of the tournament. Mark Williams has made a 1-4-1. But O'Sullivan can surpass that here. So, as against Ding, he was 2-0 down, but he battled back with a century in frame 4 then. He's done the same here. A fascinating second half after the interval. 12. Well, all the colours on their spots, so you expect this high break to go now. 1-4-1 from Mark Williams. Looks like it's going to last about another minute, if that. 121. Well, faultless really. He's had this cue ball on a piece of string. Great break. The highest of the tournament. A total clearance of 1-4-3. He may have struggled early on in the match, but that is a fantastic... Maybe been surprised by how O'Sullivan struggled the first couple of frames. He won't have been surprised, I don't think, by the way. The quality of the snooker O'Sullivan has demonstrated to come back. That's tough from the bulk cushion. Oh, the red rattles, but it drops. So, a chance for Trump to get going again. 7. 13. Just seems imperative that he makes a big break here. He's high 74 in the first frame. Let O'Sullivan in. 21. That's the standard we've reached now. It's a kill or be killed sort of snooker. 29. 35. Well, so far so good. The black to lead by 43. Plenty of red still to go at. Oh, that's... 50. Traveled a bit further than intended, that cue ball. Still on the red, though. 51. Crowd all shouting out before it started, but they've been very fair tonight. They've been quiet. Just let the players get on with it. And they've been fully enjoying the snooker that's been served up here. Judd Trump fans starting to enjoy this frame more and more with every ball he pots. So, O'Sullivan won three on the spin. Needs another red after this pink to do that. 71. 78. Great response to this. Just what he needed. 79. Just to remind everybody, Ronnie O'Sullivan included, there's a match still on here. 86. Trump is second on the list of century breakmakers this season. O'Sullivan's at 68. He's at 61. Been shut out, really. But he's found a way back in. 102. Cue ball flies off the table. Hopefully no one damaged by that. Well, Trump did some damage in the balls there. 109 the break. But he's clearly got his confidence up again, Trump. Well, I didn't like the contact there. It didn't seem too friendly. But he's still on the blue, albeit not the top side of it that he would like to have been. Just a little wince in the audience from a couple of spectators. Everyone engrossed in this fantastic match of snooker. Oh, he's missed that one. And there the shouts have gone, Ronnie. From the O'Sullivan supporters. Now then, he's held the black spot. All of the spots occupied, so he should be OK here. The black goes beneath the cue ball. Oh, what a putt to recover. That's brilliant from Ronnie O'Sullivan. At this stage as well. O'Sullivan, with his iron, just potted a great red to continue the break. Or is it? It isn't. He's doubled it. Audacious. Looks like he's still on the pink. Well, yeah, he had to avoid the other colours, although he's caught the blue. He's actually coming back around for this red. So, a little fortuitous, really. That's a good clean putt, though. It really is. Well, Trump was in in this frame. He missed a black off the spot. O'Sullivan, early on, potted a great recovery red to the yellow pocket. 46. So, it looks like the cannon here. Unless he plays for the red to the middle, which is what he's done. And he's not potted it. Ronnie O'Sullivan. So, 36 in the frame, 43 on. But he's missed the first red. They're serving up a treat, these two, tonight. Ronnie O'Sullivan, back level again. Well, could have done with that in. Indeed, he remains in his seat. Just can't be split, these two. And we're level, yet again. 4-4. What a putt, and holding for the black, beautifully. Well, both players have given their all. They've gone for their shots. And Trump is in once again. Nice, delightful shot. Nice. Opening reds. It's how Trump likes to play. He likes to get everything open really early on. Well, he's got the red to the left middle, if he's not on the one to the left corner. Trump has stood up really well tonight, to everything O'Sullivan's thrown at him. As we said, right at the start, the head-to-head, 9-8 to O'Sullivan, is impressive from Trump's point of view. Includes three finals. Missed a black off the spot early in the last frame. Which turned the frame, in O'Sullivan's favour. 80. As Trump just works out. Trying to free the black, which is obviously going to help him, because the pink is now awkward as well. 33. Basically tied up. 39. Now, what he could do here, off the blue, is try and get everything open. He could possibly free pink and black. Certainly open up reds. That's an option. 45. 51. He's had to work hard here for this break. It wasn't straightforward early on, as O'Sullivan looks on, contemplating going behind again. Trump's playing good stuff here, under pressure. That's the point. He's not playing some first round in a multi-table set-up against a lower-out player. He's playing the player of the season. The best player ever, Ronnie O'Sullivan. This is a great game of snooker. And Judd Trump has stepped up once again. 78. 85. Just potting so cleanly now. Trump looking for his second century of the night. He made 109 in the sixth frame earlier on. 92. So, the onus now on Ronnie O'Sullivan to try and level up one last time and force a decider. 101. But a second century here this evening from him has put him within a frame of the final. 116. What a brilliant break. Beautiful stuff from Judd Trump. A 1-2-3. Clearance from the Bristol man. Well, great red from O'Sullivan to get in. 1. The table's been lovely as well here. Conditions excellent. Well, that's not worked out. So, back to safety. Ronnie O'Sullivan. 14. Well, red's opening up, so safety paramount. Particularly for O'Sullivan, because he's trailing 5-4. Cannot afford to give Trump any sort of chance, you'd feel. Well, you can't blame him for taking his time and considering what shot to play, because potentially it could be his last. Well, he gave it due consideration. Hasn't finished too bad, though. Could have been a lot worse. There is a chance for Trump, then. If he gets on a colour here, this is a chance to win the match. Well, he's got to pot the red first. I thought he'd pot it. Well, that's a big let-off for O'Sullivan. And this could be a big chance for him. Well, he's been here thousands of times before in big matches and he's responded so many times. Because that doesn't mean he's a certainty to win this round, even though he seems to be in a good position here. Still got to take care of every shot. Didn't take much in snooker for something to go wrong, just a lapse positional shot or slightly taking your eye off the pot. 14. 15. And the initiative back to your opponent. But O'Sullivan looking good to level up. 22. 29. So it looks like we will be going all the way. He's not there yet in this frame. Well, enough reds out in the open now to kill this off, you would feel. 35. 36. The red and Trump needs a snooker. Well, let's be honest. It's a match that deserved a decider. And it looks like we're going to get one. They played five deciders before. Trump's won three, O'Sullivan two. Could attempt a double just to try and kill this off. But, in fact, he's played safe. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 48. Looking good for five each. And a deciding frame finish. And, in fact, Trump's had a look and decided he's not going to play on. So everyone settling down here for one last frame. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump level at five all. O'Sullivan just in his watch. Ready for the last frame. He leveled up by winning the last one. What we haven't had is a really close frame. A frame that's been decided on the colours. I wonder if this one will turn out to be that. Or whether someone will get in and make a big break. Both capable of doing that, of course. It was a chance. It's played into the pack. The only danger here is reds covering one another. The red's gone over the pocket. And he's not made it. Ronnie O'Sullivan, six. And this was his problem. The red that's gone over the pocket was always going to be on. If he missed. Well, didn't want to kiss the green. But he only just flicked off it. So it's actually OK. And it looks like safety on this yellow. Can't blame him. Judd Trump, seven. One point in the deciding frame. Both had an early chance. Trump weighing everything up here. Including the potential pot comes safety to the far corner. He was never going to drop. But played it with safety in mind. He would have been on the black to the middle. So it was maybe worth having a go. Blitz stalemate. Oh, O'Sullivan just... Re-rack. Almost played an air shot. They're going to re-rack, I think. Yeah, we're going again. Going nowhere. Just underline tower. Take control here. Just play the snooker behind the brown. Judd Trump, one. It's a big target, this cluster. Now, if he lands high on the black, he can split the pack here. With the reds open. With the black on its spot. To win this match and put himself in the final. Remember, he's lost three semifinals in a row. The last three he's been in. Well... Maybe he didn't like the contact there. He was expecting to pull the white back a bit further. It made a difference. And he is really annoyed. He knows that was a great chance to win it. But he's gone in off. Determination there. All the stuff from Ronnie O'Sullivan about... I'm here to enjoy it. I don't care if I win or lose. It can't be true. He wouldn't have won as much as he has. Just slightly overran the white there, though. There's still pressure on. There's still tension in the air. That hasn't gone away. 17. 23. Well, this is shaping up to be a sickness for Trump. It's one thing to lose, but to have been in... And then gone in off like that. To hand the initiative to O'Sullivan. It's going to be tough to take if he does lose. 31. Which is starting to look more and more likely here. 38. 32 in front. Just checking that scoreboard. He's going to need another three reds here. To put himself through to the final. 46. O'Sullivan looking to book his place in Sunday's final. Trump was in. But the in off is looking like a big moment now. Although still a little bit of pressure on this. He's cued it well. That could be the winning shot. Could win this with another century. The main thing is to win it. And he needs a pink and one more red to do just that. And he was in trouble early on in this deciding frame. But he has made a winning contribution. And he's going to be in the final on Sunday. He seemed to get a bad contact. Which just left him... O'Sullivan knocks in a long red. And makes a frame and match winning break. He's missed the red there. But it doesn't matter. 67. Can't blame him for playing on. It's not impossible he could pop this. Close. 68. It's a snooker. Trump does not want to pop the red. He can win. If he gets a snooker and a free ball he can win. But must keep the red on the table. Well the red cuts to the middle. And the red is in the middle. And Ronnie O'Sullivan's in the final. Ronnie O'Sullivan one. Frame and a match. It's a match that's thrilled the crowds here in Clandidno this evening. And they get a standing ovation for the entertainment they provided. And it's Ronnie O'Sullivan into his fifth world ranking final.