Judd Trump is eagerly anticipating the next phase of his burgeoning rivalry with Kyren Wilson, following their progression to the UK Championship semi-finals in York on Friday. Trump showcased his prowess by compiling four centuries and accumulating 527 points without response in his 6-2 victory over Zhang Anda, while Wilson triumphed 6-3 against the tournament's unexpected contender, Michael Holt. Their victories have set the stage for a Saturday clash between the world's top two players, the only ones to have earned over £1m in prize money this season. Trump is hopeful that this matchup will propel him to even greater heights.
"I believe it's fantastic for everyone that there are two players achieving remarkable feats this season," Trump remarked, recalling his losses to Wilson in the finals of Xian and Belfast. "If Kyren wasn't there, my lead at the top of the rankings would be enormous. You need someone close behind to keep pushing you and make you return to practice. We're both striving to push each other forward at the moment."
The world No. 1 was in unbeatable form, executing breaks of 89, 126, 120, and 131 in the first four frames, leaving Zhang in a state of disbelief. Zhang briefly rallied with a century of his own, but the 35-year-old Trump, aiming for his first UK title since 2011, sealed the victory, looking vastly different from the player who struggled in the initial rounds against Neil Robertson and John Higgins.
"I narrowly escaped against John, and sometimes when that happens, you feel like you've been given a second chance," Trump added. "I knew my form wasn't far off; I've just been a bit too cautious at times. Today, I felt much better than the previous two days."
Wilson missed an opportunity for a 147 in the final frame of his comfortable win over Holt, potting 12 reds and 11 blacks before missing the latter off its spot. However, it was still a convincing performance from the world champion, who surged to a 3-0 lead and then fended off a Holt comeback from 4-1 to secure his spot in the last four for only the second time in his career.
Mark Allen, the 2022 champion, will face Barry Hawkins in the second semi-final after the Antrim man fended off a typically intense challenge from Jack Lisowski to secure a 6-3 win. Lisowski's performance was marked by superb potting and inexplicable misses, as he built a 3-1 lead, including breaks of 114 and 88. After Allen responded by winning three frames in a row, Lisowski missed two good chances to level at 4-4 and, despite a valiant attempt to extend the match in the ninth frame when he got two of three snookers required, it was the world No. 3 who emerged victorious.
Hawkins, who defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round, continued his impressive form with a 6-2 win over Shaun Murphy to reach the second UK semi-final of his career. Hawkins, who had been on the verge of defeat against David Gilbert in the second round when his opponent missed what would have effectively been a match-winning green, admitted: "I was sitting in my chair [on Wednesday] wondering if I'd drive home that night or in the morning, and suddenly I'm back at the table.
"I was qualifying last week, and all you want to do is get to the main venue. This is what you play for." Five half-centuries, including breaks of 80 and 82 to finish the job, saw Hawkins through, leaving the defeated Murphy in no doubt about the magnitude of his opponent's performance. "If he plays like that, he'll win," Murphy said afterward. "I think he's currently playing the best of anyone left in the tournament."
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