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| 2023 Masters |
|---|
| Venue: Alexandra Palace, London Dates: 8 January-15 January |
| Coverage:Â Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Judd Trump claimed his second Masters title with a dramatic 10-8 victory over Mark Williams at Alexandra Palace.
Trump, whose first title came in 2019, was forced to dig deep to become the 11th player to win the tournament more than once.
He led 5-3 going into the evening session but then fought back from 7-6 and 8-7 down in a thrilling encounter.
His win sees him collect the £250,000 top prize with Williams taking home £100,000.
Williams had been cast as the pre-match favourite by Trump and was aiming to become the oldest Masters champion at the age of 47 years and 300 days.
The Welshman last won the title 20 years ago and his appearance against Trump was almost 25 years on from his epic victory over Stephen Hendry, when the Englishman was still at primary school.
Trump’s win, sealed with a wonderful break of 126 to huge cheers from a raucous crowd, will arguably go down as one of his finest as he earned a fourth Triple Crown success the hard way.
“It’s incredible really,” Trump told BBC Sport. “I got totally outplayed in the whole game. At 8-7 down I was gone and trying to hang on. I should have been out in the first round, should have been out in the second round and I should have lost this one, I’m like a cat.
“I think with the way I played this week, this is my best ever performance to grind out to win this. I wasn’t playing well. I missed balls over the pockets by a mile.
“Mark’s long potting was unbelievable. He put me under so much pressure. I was never able to fall two behind and this is by far my best ever win.”
Trump takes thriller
While neither player was at their absolute best in the afternoon session, Sunday evening’s resumption felt like a continuation of their remarkable World Championship semi-final last April.
That contest included eight centuries and 15 half-centuries before England’s Trump emerged victorious.
Williams made several trademark long pots and a break of 50 to claw back a frame but Trump, seeking his first trophy since the Turkish Masters in March 2022, responded with a 66 to immediately restore his two-frame advantage.
A break of 80 and a run of 52 brought Williams level at 6-6 to leave the match delicately poised at the mid-session interval before he took a tense 13th frame.
A protracted 14th frame containing several nervy tactical exchanges and lasting 58 minutes saw Trump get back to 7-7 but Williams recaptured his rhythm in the next with sublime 107 that showed few traces of nerves.
As tension rose in the 16th frame both players made miscalculations and left the other opportunities before Trump played a fantastic double on his way to making it 8-8.
And in a thrilling finale Trump wrapped up victory in superb fashion with a half-century and century to become a multiple Masters winner.