Judd Trump reaches semi-finals of the Masters after tense win over Neil Robertson
Last Updated: 15/01/16 10:49pm
Judd Trump edged into the semi-finals of the Masters at the Alexandra Palace with a nail-biting 6-5 win over Neil Robertson.
Trump raced into a 2-0 lead with a break of 104 enough to secure the second frame, but Robertson struck back by reeling off two in a row with one visit in the fourth producing a 139.
In total, a high-quality quarter-final contained six century breaks with Trump's 140 in the ninth the top score and the highest in this year's tournament.
The match continued to follow the same path with Trump, the 26-year-old former No 1 from Bristol, moving 4-2 ahead before two big breaks of 100 and 74 by Robertson levelled the score once again.
Each player then won a frame to take the match to 5-5.
It took a decider to separate the rivals and it was Trump who rose to the occasion with a magnificent 129 sealing victory in the 11th and setting up a semi-final against Barry Hawkins on Saturday afternoon.
"In the first round I was really nervous. I was looking for form and while I knew I was playing well, Neil kept coming back at me," Trump told BBC Sport.
"As soon as that opening red in the final frame went in I thought 'don't mess up'.
"If ever I'm the underdog I seem to play well and whenever I'm the favourite I put too much pressure on myself. Knowing me I could go out and play terribly in the next round.
"I'm 26 now and it's about time I started winning titles. I've proved a lot to myself and, hopefully, I can keep it up. For me, that was a big win."
In the evening match, Stuart Bingham beat John Higgins 6-3 to set up a semi-final with Ronnie O'Sullivan, a match which takes place on Saturday evening
Bingham raced 5-2 ahead with a display of solid but unspectacular snooker against the struggling three-times Masters champion.
Higgins' highest break of the match had been 60 in the second frame but trailing 5-2 and with the match at stake, he potted a superb risky red along the cushion on the way to compiling 120.
The fightback proved short lived, however, as in the next frame Bingham fluked a long red that cannoned off two other balls before finding the bottom left corner and there was no way back for Higgins.
