Judd Trump took a swipe at Stephen Maguire after demolishing the Scot 13-6 to book his place in the world championship semi-finals at the Crucible. The 29-year-old mocked the Scot’s pre-match assertion that he was a “lucky” player by joking: “I got a lot of luck out there – I think that was the only reason I did win.”
“I think it’s obvious that people take it differently,” Trump added. “Some people applaud their opponent and some people brush it off like it wasn’t their fault – so maybe that’s just his way of looking at it.”
Trump, targeting a place in his first world final since 2011, raced to a 9-1 lead before Maguire clawed back some respectability by taking four of the next five frames including a break of 110. Trump was in no mood to hang around and responded with breaks of 68 and 82 to send him over the line with something to spare.
Shrugging off the fact that his win made him the new odds-on favourite for the title, Trump added: “It’s always good to beat anybody that comfortably but there is a long battle ahead. It was nice to be playing with no real pressure out there and just being able to fully enjoy it with that kind of lead”.
Asked to sum up his own performance in one word, Maguire responded: “Shit” – which will duly earn him a fine from the sport’s governing body for swearing in a press conference
Trump will next face qualifier Gary Wilson, whose fairytale run continued as he converted a 9-7 overnight advantage into a 13-9 win over former two-time finalist Ali Carter. The 33-year-old endured six years off the tour and took jobs as a taxi driver, a barman and a production line worker in a frozen food factory before grasping his second chance.
Wilson said: “I dropped off the tour and I wasn’t good enough to get back on. I was having all these uncertain times when I didn’t know if I was going to be a pro again. I was desperate to get back on the tour and just scrape a living. So to go from that point to where I am now, in the one-table set-up, is absolutely amazing and the sort of thing you dream of.”
John Higgins defeated the tournament favourite, Neil Robertson, 13-10 to reach the 10th world championship semi-final of his career. The 2018 finalist will face David Gilbert in the last four after holding off Robertson’s bid to fight back from 9-7 behind.
The 43-year-old, who was beaten by Mark Williams in last year’s final, drew on every inch of his fighting qualities to keep the Australian at bay. Twice Robertson moved back to within one frame, including a 114 break to cut the gap to 10-9. Four-time champion Higgins kept his nose in front and finished in style with a 101 clearance in the last.
Gilbert confirmed his place as an unlikely semi-finalist as he held off Kyren Wilson to claim a 13-8 success. Like Gary Wilson, Gilbert has suffered his spells in the doldrums, winning only one match in four previous World Championship appearances.
Gilbert admitted: “Who’d have thought I’d end up here? Certainly not me. I have doubted myself a lot over the years. I just need to remember to enjoy it because these opportunities don’t come around too often.”
The six-time world championship runner-up Jimmy White has been rewarded with a new two-year tour card. The 56-year-old’s, 39-year career appeared to be over after he suffered a 10-4 defeat to Carter in the second round of this year’s qualifying competition. But the World Snooker chairman, Barry Hearn, said: “It was a no-brainer. We don’t forget who we owe, and this sport owes Jimmy White.”