Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan will do battle once again in the final of the European Masters after both won comfortably in today's semi-finals.
In the afternoon session Trump had to see off the World Champion Mark Selby and did so with ease, outscoring Selby from start to finish. Opening up with a magnificent break of 135 and then followed with a 72 in the second to take a 2-0 lead in style and stopping Selby from scoring a point in these two frames. A tactical third saw Selby get onto the board, but a 66 in the fourth assisted Trump in taking a 3-1 lead at the interval.
Following the mid-session break, the left-hander stormed even further ahead winning the fifth frame thanks to a run of 58 to make it 4-1. It could well have become 5-1 to Trump but Selby snatched another tight frame to keep him in it but still two frames behind. Any threat of a trademark Selby comeback was dampened when Trump did go a frame away from victory supported by a contribution of 70 in the seventh. The final frame turned out to be another closely contested one, and after a battle on the blue it was Trump that came out on top and after outclassing Selby in all aspects he was a deserved 6-2 winner and into the final.
Then it was the turn of Ronnie O'Sullivan as he took on Neil Robertson in the evenings semi-final. Robertson was not quite at the races and he never had the chance to get going thanks to the sheer dominance of O'Sullivan who was on top form. He opened up with a break of 118 and then followed that with 79 in the second to swiftly go 2-0 ahead. The third was the Australian's best chance to get a frame on the board, despite O'Sullivan taking an early advantage before the reds ran safe, and it was he that eventually took the frame to extend his lead. When Robertson's early opportunity in the fourth went astray, the Rocket capitalised with a 92 to rush into a 4-0 lead at the mid-session interval. Following the break things just got worse for Robertson as O'Sullivan kept on running along with a 63 in the fifth to go one away from victory. The sixth frame put the left hander out of his misery and saw things finish in style with a 96 break giving the five times World Champion a thumping 6-0 victory.
Final Schedule:
First session: 11am UK time (1pm in Romania) First eight frames
Final session: 5pm UK time (7pm in Romania) remaining frames
So, after their battles over the summer with a series of exhibitions, Trump and O'Sullivan will resume battle on the biggest stage for the European Masters final over the best-of-17 frames for the first prize of £56,250, while the runner-up will receive £26,250. The pairs last three major meetings were all in big finals, with Trump winning the 2015 World Grand Prix final 10-7, after O'Sullivan had beaten him twice earlier on in the season, 10-9 in the 2014 UK Championship final and 10-7 in the Champion of Champions final just a few weeks before that.
On the whole they're fairly even on the head to head front with both getting important wins over on the other in the past. This week they have both had a lot of comfortable matches, but it has to be said that if O'Sullivan plays the way he did in the semi-finals against Robertson then Trump will have a lot to contend with. With a short week, and plenty of easy matches both should have plenty left in the tank for the final, and for next week at the English Open in Manchester which begins on Monday.
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