Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: Judd Trump defeats Mark Williams in final-frame thriller to land £500k jackpot
Judd Trump won the last two frames to snatch the £500k jackpot in Saudi Arabia; Ronnie O'Sullivan was beaten in the quarter-finals by Si Jiahui, who lost to Williams in the semi-finals; Trump beat Williams 10-9 in an absorbing final
Last Updated: 07/09/24 10:23pm
Judd Trump produced a nerveless clearance in the deciding frame to beat Mark Williams 10-9 and win the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Williams looked set to claim the £500,000 first prize in Riyadh, only to miss a mid-range red on a break of 62 in the decider, allowing Trump to step in with a brilliant 72.
Trump, who was checking flights home at 4-0 down to Wu Yize in his first match of the tournament but has now won 15 of the 16 he has played this season, told Eurosport: "I'm in shock. I struggled, Mark was much the better player. He was making breaks although the table was playing tricky. I don't deserve to win.
- 'It's all about the money' - Barry Hearn issues Crucible warning over future
- Latest snooker headlines and video | Stream Sky Sports with NOW
"It's not going to mean anything to him, but he was the better player - I just found something at the end. This is so special to win. I stopped breathing for the last five minutes of that frame but I managed to get over the line."
Williams, 49, was gracious in defeat, saying: "It was a fantastic game. We didn't play really well, to be honest, from the start, but towards the end it was really good.
"I nearly had a good break in the last, it was a red I fancied getting on 62 but it wasn't as if I twitched or anything. I hit it good and thought it was in but just shows what a champ he is, what a break he's made in the last frame there.
"For half a million quid, 62 behind, two reds safe - what can you say? Congratulations to him."
Trump led a low-scoring affair 4-1 before Williams reduced his deficit in style with back-to-back breaks of 121 and 132, although world number one Trump took a tense final frame of the session to lead 5-3.
Williams continued to score more heavily in the evening session and breaks of 101, 77 and a total clearance of 138 took him 9-8 in front, only for Trump to respond with a break of 90 - his highest of the match - to force a dramatic decider.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
