2025 Champion of Champions semi-finals preview, what are the matches in Leicester?

World number one Judd Trump will face reigning world champion Zhao Xintong on Friday night, and four-time world champion Mark Selby meets two-time Champion of Champions winner Neil Robertson on Saturday evening.

The victors of these matches will then share the baize in Sunday's final at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester where there is a £150,000 top prize on offer.

After a slow opening day, the action really heated up as the week progressed with several close finishes and high-quality performances.

Trump v Zhao

Two of the most exciting and free-flowing cueists in the sport, they have met three times on the professional circuit before with Trump leading the head-to-head count 2-1, although Zhao did win their most recent tie at the 2022 German Masters - a tournament he went on to claim.

Trump was below par - with conditions perhaps playing a part - but still comfortably won Monday's group after seeing off reigning world women's champion Bai Yulu 4-1 in the afternoon and then Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan 6-2 a few hours late.

'The Ace in the Pack' is super-consistent in the Champion of Champions. Not only has he qualified for and appeared in all 13 editions (in it's current guise), he has made the final in four of the last six years, including winning the title in 2021.

Having only touched down back in the country a few hours earlier, Zhao - appearing in this tournament for only a second time - overcame fatigue as he won Tuesday's 'group of death'. The current Crucible king whitewashed Mark Allen 4-0 in the afternoon and then ousted world number two Kyren Wilson 6-5 on the final black in a thrilling climax that night.

It has been a disappointing season for Zhao, so far, but he appears to be coming into good form having reached the semi-finals of the International Championship in Nanjing last week. The 28-year-old from China is aiming for his first final appearance, and title, since his historic Crucible triumph back in May.

Trump - runner-up at the Northern Ireland Open last month - is seeking his first title since the start of last December.

Selby v Robertson

These two will continue their friendly rivalry with what will be their 49th meeting in professional competition across all formats.

Incredibly, the head-to-head record from those encounters reads 24-23 to Robertson, and one draw. Those matches consisted of 400 frames - Robertson shades that score, too, 201-199.

Despite appearing in all the Champion of Champions editions since its return to the professional scene in 2013, Selby has yet to reach a final, although he has been a three-time semi-finalist in the past (2013, 2020, 2022). With the event now in his home city of Leicester, will this be The Jester’s time to add this accolade to his stacked career CV?

After whitewashing Stephen Maguire 4-0 in round one, Selby dethroned reigning champion Mark Williams 6-5 in Wednesday’s final, taking the final two frames to get the victory and progress.

Selby has not made a final this season, but has been there or thereabouts, making the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, then last four appearances in consecutive weeks at the English and British Opens. In Nanjing last week, he was ousted by Zhao in a deciding frame in the quarter-finals.

Robertson is a Champion of Champions specialist. He has won the title twice (2015, 2019), been runner-up in 2020, and now made it through the groups and into the final four from seven of his 12 outings.

The final player to book a spot in the semis this week, the Australian defeated Tom Ford 4-1 and then got past John Higgins 6-4 in a quality affair to become Thursday’s champion. He has compiled three centuries so far (he also made two breaks in the 90s) - the most of the four remaining candidates at the Mattioli.

Since his big win at the Saudi Arabia Masters in mid-August, it has been a disjointed term for Robertson, withdrawing from the Wuhan Open due to mental fatigue, and the Northern Ireland Open due to a respiratory virus. He also played in the English Open having not long got back from a home visit where he received the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Apart from Saudi, this is the first time this season that Robertson has made the last eight of a tournament, but he did look very good on Thursday.

Visit our tournament information centre here for details on the 2025 Champion of Champions including the draw, results, schedule and how to watch.