Shanghai Masters: Ronnie O'Sullivan to meet Judd Trump in final after dispatching John Higgins


Ronnie O'Sullivan lined up a Shanghai Masters final against Judd Trump after seeing off John Higgins in Friday's semi-final.

O'Sullivan, who lost to Shaun Murphy in the final of last week's Champion of Champions, is 4/7 favourite for Saturday's final, with Trump 5/4.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan wrapped up the 6-2 win with a break of 123 - the highest in the match - to clinch victory.

Scotland's Higgins narrowly missed out on the chance to regain a foothold in the contest at 4-2 down when the seventh frame hinged on the final black.

After a safety exchange where Higgins had appeared to put the cue ball in a safe position, O'Sullivan returned to the table and doubled the black to win the frame 58-50, leaving just one more required for victory.

The 41-year-old Englishman then finished off in style, with Higgins unable to get a point on the board.

Trump awaits O'Sullivan in the final after he defeated close friend Jack Lisowski 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Bristolian Trump won the opening two frames thanks to breaks of 52 and 70 before his 26-year-old opponent hit back to level at 2-2.

World number three Trump fired off a break of 105 to win the fifth but was again pegged back, before he won three straight frames to book his final place.

"I had a chance to go 3-0 up but when Jack won the third frame it changed the momentum," Trump told World Snooker.

"At 3-3 he was looking the better player so I had to dig in, and in the end I just made a few less mistakes than he did."

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