Judd Trump reeled off five frames on the spin to defeat Ding Junhui at the Masters, coming from 3-1 behind to win 6-3.
It was yet another special performance from the sport's dominant force, and his bid for a third Masters title remains firmly on track following this latest virtuoso display.
Ding would've surely fancied his chances when stealing an apparently crucial fourth frame to lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval, Trump punished for a rare lapse positional shot.
Prior to that, Ding had warmed to his task immediately, breaks of 70 and 74 helping him lead 2-0, before Trump took frame three with a hand of 75.
What came next was pure brilliance, Trump returning from the break and putting together runs of 97, 53, 125, 62 and 75 to turn a dangerous position into an ultimately comfortable stroll into the last four.
Judd Trump steps up a gear and some as he comes from 3-1 behind to beat Ding Junhui 6-3 and reach the semi-finals of the Masters.
— Nick Metcalfe (@Nick_Metcalfe) January 17, 2025
Breaks of 75, 97, 53, 125, 62 and 75 from Trump. He's just the best player in the game. Pleasure to watch.#Snooker
In the last three frames, Ding was unable to register a single point, though he will look back on a simple miss with the rest in frame six as a big turning point.
That allowed Trump to draw level for the first time in the match, dashing Ding's hopes of leading 4-2, and thereafter, it was one-way traffic from the world number one.
Trump said afterwards: "It’s amazing to play like that in front of these fans. Coming out here is the best feeling in the world.
"I’m absolutely thrilled to play at that standard after the interval. It’s so inspiring to play in this venue.
"I think probably now I’m somewhere near my peak. I’m a lot better player than I was five or 10 years ago.
"‘I’m able to have that inner belief over and over again.
"Even when I go 3-1 behind I still believe I can do what I did. Rattle off maybe five or 10 frames in a row without missing a single ball."
Wilson sets up Trump semi-final
Kyren Wilson edged out Luca Brecel 6-4 in an enthralling encounter to set up a semi-final clash with Trump.
World champion Wilson kept his nose in front after opening up an early 2-0 lead and outlasted Brecel in a see-saw contest, which had a scrappy, dogged ending.
Wilson cashed in on early errors by Brecel to take control with the help of scores of 71 and 67 and although the Belgian responded with a 96 break, he fell 3-1 behind at the mid-session interval.
Brecel cut the deficit to 3-2 with a score of 84, but Wilson pounced on another error in frame six when his opponent went in off to compile a 79 break and go 4-2 up.
"One of the best wins of my career"
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 17, 2025
Kyren Wilson on a resilient performance to beat Luca Brecel 💪 pic.twitter.com/OwLTkJiyCG
Frame seven featured a re-rack and a cagey safety battle before Wilson missed a red with the rest and Brecel made a score of 83 to make it 4-3.
A brilliant long red helped Wilson edge 5-3 ahead, but Brecel pulled back to within one frame for a fourth time after clearing the colours and only a missed pink in the final frame denied him what would have been a superb clearance, allowing the world number two to seal victory.
