There’s a blockbuster semi-final lineup at the 2025 Champion of Champions with two mega last-four clashes to come on Friday and Saturday in Leicester.
The reigning world champion is joined by three more players who boast the credentials of Crucible winners.
The remaining quartet has each won two games to reach this point, but another couple of victories are required in order to lift the trophy and pocket the £150,000 top prize.
Let’s take a look at both of the upcoming Champion of Champions semi-finals.
Mark Selby vs Neil Robertson
Despite having featured at every edition of this version of the Champion of Champions since its inception in 2013, Mark Selby has rarely threatened for glory.
In fact, by beating last year’s winner Mark Williams in a dramatic 6-5 tussle on Wednesday, the 42 year-old is through to only his fourth semi-final in the competition.
Selby has never reached the final, but his next opponent is familiar with the latter stages of this tournament having twice reached the top step in the past.
Robertson, the Champion of Champions in 2015 and 2019 and a finalist again in 2020, progressed to the penultimate round with a 6-4 defeat of John Higgins on Thursday.
The Australian already has a big title under his belt from this campaign after winning the megarich Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters during the summer.
Aside from that lucrative week in Riyadh, though, it has generally been a quiet spell for Robertson and it has almost been the opposite for Selby.
The Leicester man has shown consistency by reaching a succession of semi-finals but so far has been unable to go any further.
Regardless of all that, any match between Robertson and Selby will be difficult to predict given their respective pedigrees in the game.
Their last clash was in Saudi when Robertson prevailed with a 6-4 scoreline, which has edged the Melbourne man in front in their tight head-to-head battle – winning 24 games to Selby’s 23 in all competitions.
They have twice met in the Champion of Champions, and on both occasions Robertson won in a deciding frame.
When is it? Saturday, 7pm UTC/GMT
Judd Trump vs Zhao Xintong
Before that heavyweight bout, there will first be a showdown between two of the most gifted players on the tour.
World number one Judd Trump takes on world champion Zhao Xintong in an epic encounter on Friday that should not be missed.
Trump was the first player to book his place in this year’s Champion of Champions semi-finals, comfortably beating both Bai Yulu and Lei Peifan on Monday.
It was much more intense for Zhao, who only arrived back from the International Championship in China on the morning of his Group 3 matches.
The 28 year-old thumped Mark Allen 4-0 but then needed all 11 frames to see off Kyren Wilson in a fixture that was finally decided on the last black.
Zhao has already bettered his previous best showing in the tournament, but this is simply par for the course for Trump who is through to the last four for the seventh time.
The Englishman has proceeded to reach the final in five out of the prior six occasions that he has reached this stage, but only once has he got his hands on the silverware.
Zhao, of course, is hoping to add to his trophy cabinet having struggled a little to produce his best on a regular basis since triumphing in Sheffield.
Trump and Zhao haven’t crossed paths since the 2022 German Masters when the latter won 5-1 en route to claiming his second ranking crown.
That represented only their third meeting with the other two victories going to Trump, but this will undoubtedly mark their highest-profile clash to date.
Either way, it promises to be a feisty fixture with single-scoring visits aplenty.
When is it? Friday, 7pm UTC/GMT
2025 Champion of Champions Results and Schedule
Monday
Group 2
Shaun Murphy 1-4 Lei Peifan
Judd Trump 4-1 Bai Yulu
Group Final
Lei Peifan 2-6 Judd Trump
Tuesday
Group 3
Kyren Wilson 4-3 Jack Lisowski
Mark Allen 0-4 Zhao Xintong
Group Final
Kyren Wilson 5-6 Zhao Xintong
Wednesday
Group 1
Mark Williams 4-0 Alfie Burden
Mark Selby 4-0 Stephen Maguire
Group Final
Mark Williams 5-6 Mark Selby
Thursday
Group 4
Neil Robertson 4-1 Tom Ford
John Higgins 4-3 Xiao Guodong
Group Final
Neil Robertson 6-4 John Higgins
Friday
Semi-Final
Judd Trump 6-2 Zhao Xintong
Saturday
Semi-Final
Mark Selby 6-2 Neil Robertson
Sunday
Final
Judd Trump vs Mark Selby
Featured photo credit: WST
Any predictions or tips on Which Bookie?
Selby beating Zhao in the final would be my guess. But none of the four have been on top form lately, so hard to call.
Not yet, maybe tomorrow for the second semi-final. It is definitely a tough one to call – a lot of frames in both I’d guess.
Trump/Zhao should be witness plenty of single visits but not on the evidence of Trump’s display on Monday. His continued grapples with his new cue makes me lean towards Zhao winning this clash.
True enough about Trump’s struggles with the cue. Still promises to be a good one though.
It certainly will feature plenty of great shotmaking and be played at a good lick.
The 2020 Champion of Champions semi-final clash, behind closed doors, was an absolute cracker which saw six centuries compiled in seven frames. Six is a joint record in a best of 11.
Robertson enjoys a healthy 6-2 lead over Selby in semi-finals.
Their first meeting was at the 2006 Welsh Open.