2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: Judd Trump ousts Shaun Murphy in semi-final thriller

Just like he did in his quarter-final success over Neil Robertson, Trump took control early on by going 3-0 up - helped by breaks of 67 and 72 - although Murphy went into the mid-session interval on the scoreboard as he instigated a frame-winning run of 65 with a cracking long distance red.

On resumption, a dramatic frame five ensued. Trump led by 46 with only 43 remaining, but missed a red along the top cushion to surely put the frame beyond the reach of his opponent. With the other red behind the black, though, there was a golden snookering opportunity for Murphy which he took. Trump hit it, but missed a subsequent snooker when hidden behind the yellow to put the outcome of the frame back in the balance.

Murphy cleared up to the final blue but missed it into a corner pocket with the rest. After an exchange on the blue, Murphy found himself in a snooker, and whilst escaping from it, he fluked a snooker back - perhaps justice for some good fortune Trump received earlier in the frame. Trump's escape left Murphy on, and he sank the remaining colours to reduce the gap to one.

Trump bounced back from that disappointment in frame six as a run of 93 put him two ahead again, although there would be more comeback heroics from Murphy in frame seven when 67 down with 67 on.

In the baulk area, 'The Magician' deposited an incredible long red and conjured up a silky 67 clearance to force a re-spotted black. Electing to go first in the tiebreaker, Murphy played a brilliant break-off leaving Trump to play a somewhat desperate double into a corner pocket which failed, and Murphy kept his cool to pot a long black and deal another blow to his opponent.

However, the matchplay resilience of Trump was soon on show again, as he won a scrappy 30-minute plus frame eight to edge 5-3 up and move to the hill.

Murphy was not to go away. Gutsy contributions of 78 in frame nine and 60 in frame ten assisted him to 5-5 and force a deciding frame at the Green Halls.

Trump got himself in first in the final frame and compiled a 50 break before missing a fiddly red into a middle pocket to keep the effort going.

2005 World Champion Murphy had a half chance to counter but missed a red into the green pocket, although he had managed to inch his way back into the frame.

On the colours, though - despite further drama and Murphy threatening his third turnaround of the match - Trump breathed a huge sigh of relief as he managed to eventually get the job done.

The 35-year-old moves into his 46th career ranking event final. In just over 12 months, Trump has reached 11 finals on the World Snooker Tour.

This will be his third final of the 2024/25 season in as many events he has entered. In July he defeated Murphy in the final to win the Shanghai Masters for the first time and last month he was pipped by reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson in the Xi'an Grand Prix title match.

Trump will face either Mark Williams or Si Jiahui in Saturday's best-of-19 frames final in the Saudi capital city for the £500,000 top prize.