Masters snooker 2024: Ali Carter ends Judd Trump’s title defence with final-frame win at Alexandra Palace

Judd Trump’s Masters defence came to an end at the hands of Ali Carter, who claimed a memorable 6-5 win to book his place in the semi-finals.

The world No. 2 trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2, but kept his head above water and had a chance to close out the win in the 10th, but he missed a match-ball red and Carter pinched the frame before winning the decider to book his place in the last four.

Carter will await the winner of Friday evening’s fourth quarter-final between Mark Allen and Mark Selby.

Trump had the first chance of the contest but missed a green to the left middle and Carter punished him with a break of 85 to take the opening frame.

The defending champion responded by making 80 in the second to level the contest.

Trump got in with a superb long red in the third, but broke down on 28 and Carter made him pay for the error as he followed up his two centuries in round one with a run of 103.

After three frames of excellent scoring, the fourth was a scrappy affair that turned Trump’s way when he knocked in a superb long yellow from under the baulk rail and he went on to clear the colours and level the match at the interval.

After the scrappy nature of the fourth, the big scoring was back on show in the fifth as Carter made 71 to take the lead for a third time.

Carter opened up clear water for the first time in the match when taking the sixth, but he was put through the wringer after making 64, only to not put the frame to bed. Trump threatened to pick his pocket only to miss the final brown and Carter knocked it in to breathe a sigh of relief.

Trump shrugged off that disappointment by knocking in his 55th century of the season – a 129 – to cut the deficit to one.

The eighth saw Trump draw level after a remarkable passage of play.

Carter held an 18-point lead at 58-40 when Trump missed the green and left it over the yellow pocket. But as he went back to his chair, Trump was rescued as the cue ball flicked the brown and nestled on top of the green leaving Carter in a snooker.

He somehow hit the green, but went in-off and shortly afterwards Trump got a shot at the green and knocked it in before mopping up the colours to draw level at 4-4.

Nerves reared their head in the ninth, as both made mistakes and questionable shot choices.

The biggest mistake came from Carter who went for a tough pot with no element of safety and the miss left the table open for Trump to craft a knock of 48 and move ahead for the first time in the match.

The 10th frame saw chances come and go. Trump made 41 before running out of position, and a counter from Carter came to an end at 16.

Carter had Trump in trouble in a snooker which he took three attempts to escape from. There was a chance to play another snooker, but Carter misjudged it and left Trump an easy starter.

Closing out the win in the pressure-cooker atmosphere at the Alexandra Palace is not easy and Trump missed match-ball red, albeit a tough pot into a blind pocket.

Carter inherited a tricky table, but produced a stunning clearance – including a brilliant pink to the bottom left – and he greeted it with a clench of the fist as he set up a deciding frame.

The first chance in the decider fell to Trump, but he failed to get on a colour from his opening red and his safety did not go as hoped, handing a starter to Carter.

It was not a straightforward table, but Carter picked off a series of impressive pots in a break of 68 to secure a thrilling win.

After missing the Triple Crown event for the past four years, Carter is now into the semi-finals of the Masters.