July 18th 2024.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's impressive performance in Shanghai has continued, as he and Judd Trump gear up for a highly anticipated semi-final match on Saturday. The invitational event has attracted a stellar lineup in the final four, setting the stage for an all-English affair between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy in the first semi-final on Friday.
Despite local hopes for a Chinese victory, the top four spots were ultimately claimed by the Englishmen. O'Sullivan defeated Ding Junhui 6-3, while Trump secured a 6-2 win over Si Jiahui. Selby and Murphy also had comfortable wins against their Chinese opponents, Pang Junxu and Zhou Yuelong, respectively. As they advance to the semi-finals, the competition will undoubtedly become more intense with the best-of-19 frame format.
O'Sullivan, who has been victorious in the last four editions of the Shanghai Masters and has lifted the trophy a total of five times, remains the favorite to take home the title on Sunday. He has an impressive record of 21 consecutive wins in this tournament, with only Michael Holt managing to defeat him back in 2016. However, Trump is determined to be the first player to break this streak and claim the Shanghai Masters title for himself.
In their six previous meetings, Trump has yet to beat O'Sullivan, with the Rocket leading their head-to-head record at 18-15. This is a relatively close record compared to O'Sullivan's dominance over many of his opponents. However, in their recent matches, O'Sullivan has had the upper hand, winning their last five encounters. Trump's only victory against O'Sullivan was at the World Grand Prix in December 2020.
Trump's performance against Si Jiahui was not his best, as the match was evenly poised at 3-3 before O'Sullivan pulled ahead with impressive breaks of 131, 70, and 62. Meanwhile, Shaun Murphy has been in top form, making breaks of 57, 70, 66, 61, and 69 on his way to a dominant victory over Zhou Yuelong. He has carried on his good form from the previous round, where he defeated John Higgins.
Expressing his delight on Instagram, Murphy praised his opponent's potential, saying, "Delighted to win and get through to the semis, because I really rate Zhou Yuelong. He's one of the players from China who has a great career ahead of him." As for his upcoming match against Selby, Murphy has a 24-19 lead in their head-to-head record. However, Selby has had the upper hand in their recent meetings, with Murphy's last victories against the Jester coming in their two most recent encounters.
Reflecting on his performance, Murphy believes he has been one shot away from scoring big breaks and is determined to up his game against his good friend Selby. "I've not had any centuries yet in the 12 frames that I've won in the Shanghai Masters at the moment," he shared. "I just keep making 60s, 70s, and 80s, and I suppose that's good enough. But I think I'll need a bit more than that to get past my next opponent, up against my good mate Mark Selby." With their history of competitive matches and a best-of-19 format, Murphy is confident that their semi-final clash will be one not to miss.
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