The 2026 German Masters final will be contested between Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy at the Tempodrom in Berlin on Sunday.
Both players emerged from their semi-final encounters with relative ease, Murphy thrashing Neil Robertson 6-1 and Trump overcoming Ali Carter with a 6-2 scoreline.
Murphy, in particular, looked impressive as he sustained his bid to lift the Brandon Parker Trophy for the first time in his career.
Success would be particularly poignant for the Magician as Parker, who died in 2020, was an instrumental figure in Murphy’s early career.
The 43 year-old compiled a hat-trick of century breaks to thoroughly dismantle the challenge of Robertson in the last four, adding to his earlier triumphs over Mark Allen and Kyren Wilson.
Indeed, across those three wins, Murphy boasts an aggregate frame score of 16-2 – a staggering reflection of his dominance so far in the competition.
In what has been a strange edition of the German Masters that has been short of drama and close finishes, it would still be a surprise if Murphy were to continue to have it all his own way in the final.
World number one Trump reached the title-deciding bout for the fifth time in his career, meanwhile, with a comfortable ousting of Carter, making breaks of 87, 67, 56, and 52.
Of his previous appearances at this late stage of the tournament, the 36 year-old has proceeded to etch his name onto the silverware on three occasions.
Trump, however, is chasing a first title since he landed the UK Championship crown towards the end of 2024.
It has been an atypical period for the Bristol potter, with four defeats on the bounce in finals to recover from across the last 12 months or so, resulting in a dip in confidence.
But even with those disappointments, there has generally still been a sense that Trump remains the best player in the world with another big triumph waiting just around the corner.
That return to the glory days could well transpire this weekend in a tournament he rates as one of his favourites on the calendar.
Murphy, of course, already has silverware to brag about from this season – beating Trump en route to glory at the British Open in September.
The overall head-to-head record does not read favourably for the 2005 world champion, though, with Trump boasting a dominant 31-14 record from their prior ties in all competitions.
That includes wins in two out of the three previous finals they have contested, with Trump inflicting heavy defeats on Murphy at the 2019 International Championship final and again in Shanghai five years later.
Murphy’s sole success with silverware on the line was over a short format, a 4-2 victory to take the Gibraltar Open crown in 2017.
Either way, there will be plenty of experience on display as both competitors are more than capable of shifting to the highest gear, even when the stakes are at their highest.
While Murphy is bidding for a 14th career ranking title, Trump is hoping to stretch his incredible tally to 31 as he continues to hunt down the top three on the all-time ranking event winners list.
With £100,000 on the line and an electric atmosphere at the iconic Tempodrom guaranteed, the showdown promises much and fans will be hoping it can deliver.
The 2026 German Masters final takes place over 19 frames on Sunday, February 1st at 1pm and 7pm GMT.
Featured photo credit: WST
