Snooker’s world champion will be crowned on Monday with Judd Trump and John Higgins set to continue their 2019 World Championship final showdown in Sheffield.
Trump, in search of a maiden Crucible crown, boasts a commanding 12-5 overnight advantage and requires only six more frames to engrave his name into the history books.
The 29 year-old produced arguably one of the greatest sessions ever in a world final when he claimed eight frames in a row to stun his esteemed opponent.
Four-time champion Higgins didn’t actually do much wrong, highlighted by the fact that he compiled a hat-trick of century breaks en route to establishing a 5-4 lead.
By that point, the pair had traded five tons between them and a classic encounter appeared to be a certainty.
However, after regaining the initiative with a wondrous 135 total clearance to go 6-5 in front, Trump pinched what proved to be a pivotal twelfth frame on the colours to avoid parity at the mid-session interval.
Trump’s confidence escalated thereafter and the reigning Masters champion dominated the remaining five frames with another succession of sizable contributions to stamp his authority on the affair.
Higgins, who in his quest to become snooker’s world champion for a fifth time has painfully tasted defeat at this stage in each of the last two seasons, has it all to do on the final day of the championship.
As we all know, the Scot is capable of producing the kind of levels required to reel in a large deficit like this.
But the major problem for the 43 year-old is Trump’s form, which has seemingly peeked at the most opportune moment possible.
Higgins will have to hope that the Englishman, looking to erase the moniker of being one of the best players to never win a World Championship, will stumble with the winning line in sight.
In reality, it’s a lot to ask for and for all money it looks like this is finally going to be Trump’s time to shine in the ultimate limelight.
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