Selby powers past Murphy to set up UK final with Trump

Mark Selby powered to a 6-3 victory over Shaun Murphy to book his place in the UK Championship final against Judd Trump on Sunday.

Defending champion Trump had earlier completed a 6-3 win against Australia’s Neil Robertson as he looks to maintain his proud record of winning at least one trophy every year since 2013.

And on the evidence of Saturday evening, it promises to be a mouth-watering occasion in York, with four-time world champion Selby at his clinical best to dispatch Murphy.

In a high-quality start Selby opened with a break of 73, Murphy replying with a sublime 131.

Selby, who last won this title in 2016, pinched the third frame after playing a sensational positional shot from the blue to the final red after Murphy missed a red with the rest.

Another 73 extended Selby’s advantage and he picked up where he left off after the interval with a well-crafted break of 105 to lead 4-1.

Murphy briefly raised hopes of reproducing the sort of stirring fightback that carried him past John Higgins in the last 16 by collecting the next two frames.

However, when the 2008 winner failed to drop in a long red to the left corner pocket, he was ruthlessly punished as Selby made 72 and 55 to go 5-3 ahead.

Just like the epic final in 2020, in which Robertson defeated Trump 10-9, there was little to choose between the players in a see-saw opening.

Trump knocked in two half-centuries, while Robertson constructed a wonderful break of 114, then took a remarkable and protracted fifth frame on the black to lead 3-2.

However, from that point the world number one took control as Robertson – who was playfully booed by fans as he walked out for mimicking cricket shots in reference to England’s toils in the Ashes – made a series of uncharacteristic errors.

Trump capitalised with three half-centuries and then reeled off his fourth consecutive frame with a 53 to book his place in Sunday’s showpiece match.

“I probably just missed a couple less balls than him. It is great to be back in the final – the last few months and weeks have been a lot more consistent,” Trump told BBC Sport.

Trump will go into the final looking to become only the fourth player to successfully defend the UK crown after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

And the Englishman looks to be getting back towards his best after openly talking about his struggles to hit top form and find a suitable cue this term.

He reached the final of the Northern Ireland Open in October and the Champion of Champions in November where he lost out to Jack Lisowski and Selby.

He will also be aware that on the two previous occasions he has beaten Robertson at this tournament, he has then gone on to triumph overall.

But when Trump fell 3-2 behind in an extraordinary frame, the momentum had appeared to have shifted towards Robertson, who won the lucrative Saudi Arabia Masters earlier this term.

“It was a massive frame to go 3-2 [down] but I still felt positive and like I had a good chance,” Trump added.

“A lot of times when you lose a frame like that, your opponent can get carried away like they have done the hard work but luckily for me, he left me in, in the next frame.