Snooker Upset: World No. 3 Trump Knocked Out 5-6 by Murphy Comeback, Semi-Final Lineup Set with Ding Junhui as Lone Chinese Player

In the deciding frame, Trump got the first chance and made 23 points before his break ended. Murphy then stepped in with a 67-point clearance to the final red and went 9 points ahead, eventually winning 6-5 to eliminate the world No. 3. The match had no dramatic swings, with the first 11 frames defined by both players correcting mistakes and battling through single-frame breaks.

Trump made two century breaks in the match, scoring 110 and 112, along with three 50+ breaks of 60, 69 and 67. Murphy made one century of 101, with 50+ breaks of 56, 65 and 67. In the fourth frame, Murphy scored 65 but failed to secure the frame, while Trump overturned the deficit with a 69 break. After the interval, Trump led 4-3, but Murphy made 101 in the eighth frame and won two straight frames to reach a 5-4 match point. Trump levelled at 5-5 with a 112 break in the tenth frame, but managed only 23 points in the decider.

The two players had met 47 times previously, with Trump leading 33-14 and having once won eight consecutive matches against Murphy. Last season, Trump defeated Murphy 10-4 in the German Masters final and 10-9 in the Tour Championship quarter-final. Murphy's previous win over Trump came at last season's English Open, and he reversed the situation again this time. Trump was ranked No. 3 and Murphy No. 7, but in the quarter-finals rankings mattered less than who made fewer mistakes in the deciding frame.

Ding Junhui followed a different rhythm. In his quarter-final against Kyren Wilson, Ding made 93 in the opening frame and took 40 points before extending his break to 87 in the second, leaving Wilson scoreless through the first three frames. Wilson responded with 98 in the fourth and 79 in the fifth to reduce the deficit to 2-3. Ding made 59 in the sixth and 76 in the seventh. In the eighth, Wilson led 59-51 but missed a crucial pink ball, allowing Ding to clear the pink and black for a 64-59 frame win and a 6-2 victory.

The win sent Ding into a ranking-event semi-final for the first time in 17 months and ended his losing streak against top-16 players. After the match, he said the first three frames put pressure on Wilson and that the later frames were close, but he stayed composed on key shots. He did not describe it as a complete return to form, instead focusing on in-match performance and converting opportunities, which was a more grounded assessment than simply pointing to the scoreline.

Zhou Yuelong faced Carter on the same night and was left with more regrets. The match was tied 2-2 at the interval. After the break, Carter took the lead with an 85 break, but Zhou won three consecutive frames with breaks of 60, 66 and 75 to move 5-3 ahead and reach match point. In the ninth frame, Zhou's attack stopped after 55 points when he missed the yellow, and Carter produced a 71 break to turn the frame around. Carter then made 77 in the tenth and took a 74-point opening in the decider to complete a 6-5 comeback. Carter recorded six 50+ breaks: 52, 74, 85, 71, 77 and 74. Zhou recorded four: 60, 66, 75 and 55.

Zhou still had chances, but after leading 5-3 he failed to build sustained attacks in the next three frames. After scoring 55 in the ninth frame, he left a yellow opportunity and handed the defensive pressure back to Carter. Carter then controlled the pace with breaks of 74 and 77 in the final two frames, while Zhou never regained the initiative in long-pot play. His ranking remained at a career-high No. 17, meaning he missed a chance to enter the top 16 and could not join Ding in the semi-finals.

In another quarter-final, Mark Williams faced Liam Davies. The pair were level at 2-2 early on, but Williams pulled away in the second half to win 6-3. Davies was the low-ranked surprise package, while Williams used long pots and defensive control to prevent the younger player from building consecutive scoring chances. The lower-half semi-final will now see Williams face Murphy, with two experienced players set to battle through defence and break-building.

With the semi-final lineup confirmed, both matches will be played as best-of-11 frames, with the first player to six frames advancing. Ding Junhui will face Carter at 20:00 on September 12, while Murphy will meet Williams at 02:00 on September 13. Ding leads Carter 15-5 with one draw in their previous meetings. Carter has just recovered from a 5-3 deficit against Zhou, and his defensive play and long-pot confidence will make this a tougher contest. Murphy comes off a demanding match against Trump, while Williams has had more rest, making stamina an important factor over a longer format.

After Trump's elimination, the English Open semi-finalists are Ding Junhui, Carter, Murphy and Williams, all experienced players. Among younger competitors, Davies reached the quarter-finals and Zhou held match point but could not convert. The later stages of ranking events are not only about scoring breaks, but also about frame-winning decisions, shot selection and knowing when to switch to defence.

The closing stages of the tournament have featured intense competition, with all four semi-finalists showing strong match management. In the longer semi-final format, maintaining consistency and avoiding crucial mistakes will be key factors in determining the final outcome.