Judd Trump, speaking after his Shanghai Masters semi-final loss to Ronnie O’Sullivan: “I felt comfortable and I knew I’d lost to him a few times in a row. It was nice to come back and show I could still play a little bit.” Trump will face Shaun Murphy in the final on Sunday.
Last updated: 20/07/24 6:18 p.m.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s eight-year unbeaten run at the Shanghai Masters ended on Saturday with a 10-3 semi-final defeat to Judd Trump.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s eight-year unbeaten run at the Shanghai Masters came to a dramatic end on Saturday when he was beaten 10-3 by Judd Trump in the semi-finals.
O’Sullivan came into the competition with a 21-match winning streak in the tournament and in search of a fifth straight title, but never got going in the afternoon as Trump raced into an 8-1 lead.
Trump, who has yet to win the Shanghai Masters title, enjoyed breaks of 106, 128 and 127 in a totally dominant session.
O’Sullivan started to fight back in the evening, winning the first round of the session with a 71 clearance and then punishing a costly miss from Trump to make it 8-3, but Trump responded with breaks of 110 and 67 to secure his first win over O’Sullivan since 2020.
During the break, it was announced that Ray Reardon, O’Sullivan’s former mentor and coach, had passed away. The six-time world champion, aged 91, had been battling cancer.
Trump to face Shaun Murphy in Shanghai Masters final on Sunday
Trump will now face Shaun Murphy in the final on Sunday after ‘The Magician’ recovered from an 8-5 deficit to beat Mark Selby 10-8.
“I think the level of play was probably reminiscent of the Masters final. I felt comfortable and I knew I’d lost to him a few times in a row,” Trump said after his victory.
“It’s obviously not a record you want to have, where he thinks he can play every time he plays you. So it was nice to get one back and show that I could still play a little bit.”
