Judd Trump v Mark Williams LIVE: Score and updates from World Snooker Championship semi-final

The 28-year-old is taking part in as an novice in Sheffield, and earlier than the beginning of the season hadn’t competed in knowledgeable event since 2022. However given he already with a Triple Crown title in his pocket, this isn’t any atypical novice snooker participant.

Sheffield-based Zhao, whose aggressive break-building piled the stress on his opponent all through the match, admitted having combined ideas over beating his hero O’Sullivan.

He mentioned: “He’s my idol. To be sincere I didn’t need to win this time as a result of I needed to see him win his eighth right here.

“However I received and I do know I wanted to play effectively as a result of earlier than the match I didn’t assume I may win.

“I do know he’s a legend and everybody needed him to win this event and I may really feel that.

“I do know it’ll be actually exhausting (to win the title). Everybody says no Chinese language participant has received this earlier than however I’ll simply attempt to get pleasure from in the present day.”

When requested how he felt throughout the hours after being whitewashed within the morning session, O’Sullivan added: “I wasn’t that bothered. I wasn’t shocked.

“I’ve been taking part in like that quite a bit in follow and it’s simply exhausting to get my head round. And I can’t even repair it, that’s the issue. I don’t even assume I can repair it.

“I do know I mentioned I’d prefer to attempt to give it two years however in case you’re going to play like that it’s fairly pointless. It’s not good.”

O’Sullivan mentioned: “I don’t even know if it was the cue, the ferrule or me. There have been three issues.

“I simply don’t even know the place the white ball’s going. I’m at a loss, to be sincere with you. I don’t even know what to say.

“Typically you’ve obtained to strive one thing totally different, ? It didn’t really feel nice earlier than so I attempted to return to the previous brass ferrule.

“I’m not making the cue as an excuse or something like that but when I hadn’t snapped my previous cue possibly I’d have been capable of give him a greater recreation however actually my performances haven’t been adequate.”

The defeat marks a disappointing finish to a event the place O’Sullivan had already proven indicators of frustration together with his tools.

He had been absent from the tour since January, having withdrawn mid-way via the Championship League after snapping his cue in frustration following a string of losses.

However he was not sure whether or not the cue he utilized in Sheffield was responsible for his exit or if it was his recreation.

“Zhao performed good, he deserved his victory,” O’Sullivan mentioned. “I feel he is carried out brilliantly all event and all credit score to Zhao. He performed higher than me.

“I have been terrible for fairly some time, these performances are in there, they have been popping out fairly commonly lately.

“I might prefer it to be [there], I might similar to to play alright and I simply felt like I by no means gave him a recreation in order that’s a bit disappointing.”

It meant a 12-4 benefit for Zhao and O’Sullivan, out of types after having the tip and ferrule on his cue modified in a single day, was unable to pressure a momentum shift when play resumed on Friday night.

Zhao’s aggressive break-building piled the stress on O’Sullivan and there was no stopping him turning into the second Chinese participant to succeed in the World Championship closing after Ding Junhui in 2016.

Extra brilliance by Williams, potting a doubled purple to the left center pocket from the underside of the pack. He places on a telling half-century to clinch the body, and with it a lead of two heading into tonight’s race to 17.

A dramatic begin to the ultimate body of the afternoon, as Trump fully misses his meant purple attempting for a skinny snick. Williams doesn’t reap the benefits of the chance, placing on solely 13 factors earlier than lacking a purple to the center, and Trump then misses a purple aiming lengthy to the inexperienced pocket.

Some nerves creeping in right here, maybe.

Sensational break by Trump! He will get the body received and in the midst of all of it was a nerveless do-or-die purple down the rail.