Judd Trump produced more sensational snooker to leave Kyren Wilson trailing in his wake and reach the final of the UK Championship.
Following on from Friday's demolition of Zhang Anda, Trump recovered from a slow start to take six frames in a row to seal a 6-2 win which left him plenty of time to prepare for a meeting with Barry Hawkins after his marathon 6-5 win against Mark Allen.
On this form it's perhaps hard to see a weary Hawkins troubling Trump, who added two more centuries to his tally including to seal a victory which had been on the cards from the moment he returned from the mid-session interval.
Wilson had seized the early initiative by taking a tight opener and bossing the next, but the tide soon turned a century from Trump laid down a market heading into the break.
Back from the interval to edge a low-scoring fifth frame, Trump didn't look back and while not quite at the levels seen in the quarter-finals, he was still far too strong for the reigning world champion.
The moment Judd Trump reached his fourth #VPUKChampionship final 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xAQKgVdrhb
— Eurosport (@eurosport) November 30, 2024
"It was a tricky game," Trump told WST. "We both have a lot of respect for each other. At the start we were just trying to figure each other out. I got the upper hand and after the interval I scored a little bit heavier. My long potting was good. It wasn't an absolute classic, but it is just about getting over the line when you aren't at your best.
"It definitely means a lot more to me than when I was younger. You know it's not going to last forever. Being ranked number one in the world and doing what I'm doing, you aren't going to be in that form forever. I've put in the work over the last five or six years and got the rewards. It gets harder as you get older. I want to make the most of it while I can.
"Even though I've reached the final a couple of times and lost 10-9 both times, you kind of get forgotten about. I've been so close to winning more titles here. Those little details shape your career. I could be on six or seven Triple Crowns now but I've come up short in a couple of finals. It is nice to have a chance to rectify that tomorrow."
In winning, Trump became the first player to earn £1million for a season before Christmas and was thrilled to have done so.
"If you looked ten years ago you'd never have dreamed of winning a million pounds in a season," he added.
"Taking that up a notch and winning it before Christmas is an amazing achievement. It is nice getting the rewards for being consistent. You see further down the rankings, to get into these invitational events you need to win a lot of money. People have been asking and moaning over the last ten years that the rewards aren't there. If you have a good run in an event now there is a lot of money up for grabs."
Hawkins came through a deciding frame to beat Allen 6-5 in a gruelling late night battle to make the final as he seeks a maiden Triple Crown title. With the clock just shy of 1am, the Hawk cracked in a stunning long range red to set up a steely winning clearance of 26 to book a place in his first ever UK final.
Hawkins said: "It was an absolutely gruelling match. To come through one of those games, I'm over the moon. It wasn't pretty to watch. I had one good frame to level at 5-5. I can't remember many other frames that were any good. It was just a battle. I'm completely drained.
"I stuck in there. I just kept trying, that is all you can do. I just tried not to beat myself up. When you are scoring bad and missing balls it becomes really hard. You never know what can happen, I've fell over the line tonight and I'm pleased I managed to dig in.
"It isn't easy is it? Look at how many great players I had to beat this week. To get to another Triple Crown final is brilliant. I am really looking forward to playing Judd. It should be a great occasion. I'll get the family up and I hope we put on a good performance."
