Judd Trump wins on final black ball to claim inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters title

Victory in Riyadh for Trump represents his 29th career ranking event title, putting him fourth on the all-time list in that category above Steve Davis. The 35-year-old Englishman also significantly strengthens his position at the top of the world rankings and is set up nicely for a long stint as snooker’s number one.

Aside from the magnitude of the event - the richest snooker tournament ever to be held outside of the United Kingdom with a total prize fund in excess of £2.3 million - Trump’s triumph is extra memorable for his comeback heroics during his opening match when he recovered from 4-0 down to win 5-4, and a sensational counter-attack in the deciding frame of the final.

Despite their extraordinary career portfolios, it was a cagey and nervy start to the final at the Green Halls between snooker’s most successful left-handed players, ever.

Three-time World Champion Williams took the opening frame but missed the final pink to a middle pocket in the second to double his lead. Trump later sank the two remaining balls to level at 1-1.

That spurned opportunity seemed to affect Williams, as Trump won the next three frames - a run that included the first half-century break of the tie, a 66 in frame four - to take control at 4-1 up.

However, Williams sparked into life - and then some - as he compiled total clearances of 121 and 132 in back-to-back frames to reduce his deficit to just one at 4-3 down. But Williams was unable to maintain that purple patch of form in the final frame of the first session as Trump secured it to hold a lead going into the evening’s play a few hours later.

On resumption, the opening two frames were shared, but Williams - who was sporting a mid-match haircut and shave - really kicked on and found a groove, stringing together three successive frames along with breaks of 101 and 77 to take the lead at 7-6 up.

The Welshman's momentum was halted, though, in frame 14 as a missed red proved costly with his opponent crafting a 76 to square up. Trump then came from behind in frame 15 with a crucial 65 to edge back in front at 8-7.

This incredible encounter had plenty more twists and turns to come. Trump unexpectedly failed with a pot in the next and Williams later took the frame for parity again, before floating in a trademark long red at the start of frame 18 and conjuring up a 138 to move to the hill at 9-8 up. That effort was Williams' fourth century break of the match and his third total clearance.

Now at the point of no return, world number one Trump responded with a run of 90 in frame 18 to deservedly force the thriller all the way to a 19th and final frame; the first ranking event final on the World Snooker Tour (besides the one-frame Snooker Shoot Out) to go to a deciding frame since the World Grand Prix in January 2023 - which Trump ended up on the losing side of to Mark Allen.

With a difference of £300,000 at stake, Trump broke off in the final frame but Williams instantly slotted home a red at distance - a facet of his game that was simply superb throughout a lot of the match - to buy the first scoring chance.

Under the extreme pressure, it looked like Williams was going to complete the job in one single visit, but he missed a mid-distance red whilst on a break of 62 when only a few pots away from the finish line. It would prove to be his last shot of the tournament.

With a couple of reds near a side cushion as he came to the table, Trump constructed one of the greatest counter clearances, ever, starting with surely a do-or-die opening red and going on to dish with an extraordinary effort of 72 to win in some of the most dramatic circumstances you could possibly imagine in a snooker arena.

The half-a-million pound first prize Trump pockets is the joint-biggest payday of his career having won the same amount when he triumphed at the 2019 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.

‘The Ace in the Pack’ has enjoyed a sensational start to the new 2024/25 season. He has won 15 out of his 16 matches, winning the Shanghai Masters in July, reaching the final of the Xi’an Grand Prix in August, and now lifting this new trophy in the Saudi capital. It’s only the start of September, but he has already totted up £786,000 this campaign.

Looking slightly further back, Trump has now won seven World Snooker Tour accolades in five different countries within the space of just 11 months: English Open, Wuhan Open, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters, World Open, Shanghai Masters, Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.

Williams will be gutted to have come so close to adding yet another major title to his personal tally, but the £200,000 consolation the 49-year-old trousers for making the final surely guarantees his top 16 - and probably top eight or higher - place for a significant time.

Next up on the World Snooker Tour is the 2024 English Open, taking place at the Brentwood Centre between September 12-22.