Jack Lisowski beat Mark Selby 6-4 to reach the final of the World Grand Prix, where the man standing in the way of a breakthrough ranking title will be his great friend Judd Trump.
These two electric potters were long considered the future of the sport in any post-O'Sullivan era, but so far both parts of that prediction have not come to pass: Ronnie O'Sullivan is the world champion, and Lisowski remains without a ranking title.
Having burst back into form over the last three weeks in Milton Keynes, Lisowski now has the chance to shed the tag of snooker's most talented maiden, and yet in his way is Trump, who has usurped O'Sullivan as the game's dominant force.
Perhaps having a close ally across from him will allow Lisowski to fulfil his potential, but one way or another Sunday's two-session final should produce fireworks. The challenge for Lisowski will be to ensure they don't all come from Trump.
Jack Lisowski is moving through the gears!
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) December 19, 2020
He leads Mark Selby 4-1 after a break of 110 😲@ITV4 #SnookerOutOfThisWorld pic.twitter.com/tO0goQQmmG
Saturday's performance against Selby offers encouragement, as he was never behind as a sequence of 88, 89, 110 and 72 breaks saw him develop a seemingly unassailable 5-1 lead.
Getting over the line has always been the problem, though, and after a brilliant 143 break in the next frame, Selby clawed his way back into the match. As night follows day, those chinks in Lisowski's armour began to show, a missed brown at 5-3 in front appearing to confirm that he was again stalling under pressure as the tide began to turn.
In the end it took a rare mistake from Selby, who over-cut a red with the rest and left Lisowski among the balls, to help lift the younger man over the line. He held his nerve at last, a thin red to the left-middle proving the final nail in Selby's coffin.
Was he nervous as the three-time world champion mounted a comeback? "Yes, absolutely," confessed Lisowski. "When he made that 143 off the break-off at 5-1, I thought 'wow', and I knew Selby was going to do a Selby and come back at me.
"I was pretty nervous; he looked like he'd gained so much momentum. I was ready for it, and when he missed that red with the spider I just thought 'don't really think about it'! Just play like you're in practice. Sometimes, I can think about it too much, and I've been keeping my cool a bit better. I'm so happy to win.
"It's a great feeling, and to have Judd in the final, it's crazy. I feel like a top professional snooker player for the first time in my career, to be honest."
