Defending champion Judd Trump cruised into the semi-finals of the UK Championship with an impressive 6-2 victory over three-time winner Ding Junhui.
The result provides world number one Trump with a small measure of revenge for his UK semi-final defeat to Ding in York two years ago.
Ding, who won this title for the first time exactly 20 years ago, started strongly with breaks of 89 and 83, but after that Trump took control to reach a third successive UK semi-final.
A run of 73 reduced his arrears and he then won two scrappy frames before compiling a break of 91 to lead 4-2.
Trump, winner of 30 ranking titles, punished mistakes from his under-par opponent to book a last-four appearance against Australia’s Neil Robertson, who held off fightback from Pang Junxu to triumph 6-4.
“In the last couple of events I have found the confidence to go for it,” Trump said.
“It has not been vintage but the difference this tournament has been the timing, when I have needed to make a clearance or pot an important ball they have been going in.
“I feel a lot more confident. Event though I am not back to my best I’ve done everything I need to do at the crucial times.”
Trump’s meeting with Robertson, will be a repeat of the 2020 UK final which the Australian won 10-9 in an epic encounter that went on into the early hours of the morning.
Later on Friday, Shaun Murphy claimed a 6-3 win over Zhang Anda as he reached the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 2017.
Murphy will now take on either fellow former UK champion Mark Selby or last year’s beaten finalist Barry Hawkins.
