The pair of Englishmen will battle for the last piece of silverware in 2020.
Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski encounter each other in the World Grand Prix final on Sunday at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Close friends off the table, that will be temporarily put aside as they make their defining bid to claim the £100,000 top prize.
Trump thrashed Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-1 on Friday evening to reach an incredible eighth ranking event final of the calendar year, while Lisowski held off a typical late rally from Mark Selby on Saturday evening to prevail in the second semi-final with a 6-4 scoreline.
While they share a similarly attack-minded approach to the game and are both regarded as among the most talented players on the circuit, their respective levels of success read quite differently.
Of the previous seven finals this year that he’s participated in, Trump has won five, taking his career total to 19 and making him the runaway world number one on the rankings list.
Lisowski, meanwhile, is yet to live up to his obvious potential as he attempts to land that maiden trophy that has proved so elusive up until this point.
The 29 year-old has a record of three ranking event finals and three defeats that he’ll be desperately keen to improve upon this weekend.
On the one hand, it couldn’t really be any more difficult in terms of who he has to face – having previously lost twice in title deciders to Neil Robertson and once to Selby.
Yet, the “Dude” does boast a relatively good head-to-head record against an opponent who he probably knows inside out from so many practice sessions together in the past.
Trump has triumphed in four out of their last five clashes, but a 7-5 overall advantage indicates that he hasn’t always had it his own way.
Judd Trump is today playing his 31st ranking final aiming for his 20th victory. That would put him 6th on the all-time ranking winners list.
Jack Lisowski is playing in his 4th ranking final aiming for his 1st title. If he wins he’d be the 67th player to win a ranking title.
— Adam @SnookerInfo (@SnookerInfo147) December 20, 2020
Ahead of their World Grand Prix final tie, the 31 year-old’s experience at this stage of a competition will naturally be a huge aspect in his favour.
While the duo’s break-building skills rate similarly, it’s in the tactical department where Trump truly outshines the challenger, having rapidly improved that side of his arsenal in the last couple of years.
Lisowski needs to strive for that if he wants to achieve more and on a consistent basis, but to his credit he has looked more focussed this month following a decent run at the UK Championship that significantly turned his fortunes around this term.
As always with these showdowns, a lot will depend on the opening exchanges and whether or not Lisowski can gain an early foothold in the fixture.
Trump is a heavy favourite and for good reason, as he looks to sign off on what has been a wonderful calendar year with another trophy raised aloft.
On the day when Ronnie O’Sullivan is in the running for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, Trump could underline his own worth as snooker’s undisputed top player at the moment.
Two of the most entertaining cueists of the modern day will hopefully serve up a treat for fans ahead of the brief mid-campaign respite over the holiday season.
Live coverage of the World Grand Prix final is on ITV4 across Ireland and the United Kingdom, or you can check viewing options for your region by clicking here.
Click here to view the World Grand Prix draw
