Judd Trump, speaking after Shanghai Masters semi-final defeat of Ronnie O’Sullivan: “I felt comfortable and I knew that I’d lost quite a few times in a row to him. It was nice to get one back and show I could still play a little bit.”; Trump will face Shaun Murphy in Sunday’s final
Last Updated: 20/07/24 6:18pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s eight-year undefeated run at the Shanghai Masters came to a dramatic halt on Saturday when he was thrashed 10-3 by Judd Trump in the semi-finals.
O’Sullivan came into the contest on a 21-game winning streak in the tournament and seeking a fifth consecutive title, but never got going in the afternoon as Trump romped to an 8-1 lead.
Trump, yet to win a Shanghai Masters title, enjoyed breaks of 106, 128 and 127 in a thoroughly dominant session.
O’Sullivan came out fighting in the evening, taking the first frame of the session with a clearance of 71 and then punishing a costly miss from Trump to make it 8-3, but Trump responded with breaks of 110 and 67 to secure his first win over O’Sullivan since 2020.
During the interval, the death of Ray Reardon – O’Sullivan’s former mentor and coach – was announced. The six-time world champion, who was 91, had been battling cancer.
Trump will now face Shaun Murphy in Sunday’s final after ‘The Magician’ recovered from an 8-5 deficit to beat Mark Selby 10-8.
“I think the standard of play was probably reminiscent of the Masters final. I felt comfortable and I knew that I’d lost quite a few times in a row to him,” Trump said after his win.
“It’s obviously not a record you want to have where he fancies his chances every time he plays you. So it was nice to get one back and show I could still play a little bit.”
