Players Championship Snooker 2024: Ali Carter beats Judd Trump to reach semi-finals after enthralling tie in Telford

Ali Carter got the better of Judd Trump in an enthralling tie in Telford to reach the semi-finals of the Players Championship with a 6-4 victory.

Both players started well but Carter gained impetus in the opening frame by thundering a starter into the corner after Trump thought he had played safe.

Despite not quite being able to close it out at the first time of asking, some excellent safety play from Carter led to him eventually being able to do the required and go 1-0 up.

It was obvious from early on that there was a very small margin for error, as mistakes from either player were swiftly pounced upon.

Trump has been in fine form all season with four tournament wins to his name, including at the Wuhan Open, where he got past Carter in the final.

A break of 85 saw the former world No. 1 go 2-1 up.

Trump threatened to run away with the fourth, but when he slammed a red to the pocket he watched it bounce off the table to give Carter a reprieve.

Some scrappy play followed with mistakes from both and just as Trump thought he was back in control, a miss on the final red brought Carter back to the table.

A stunning pot of the brown was followed by a straight effort on the blue, a cut on the pink and a frame-stealing finisher on the black to go into the interval level at 2-2.

The match resumed with a disjointed frame – which saw a cue ball change – but Carter was able to edge ahead once more.

However, Trump struck back as Trump does.

He has more century breaks than any other player this season, and his 68th of the campaign saw him pocket 115 to make things all square at 3-3.

Carter took a 49 point lead in the seventh before Trump narrowed the gap to just three points, only to foul with a potted white – allowing Carter to return and clear up to go 4-3 up.

At the start of the eighth, Trump landed the cue ball behind the green and after fouling his first attempt, Carter fluked a red.

He returned the favour of tucking the white back behind the green and although Trump got out at the second attempt, he left one to the middle.

Carter took advantage of his opportunity to go two frames clear.

An opening break of 46 from Carter had him heading towards victory until Trump buried a long red to give himself a chance to put a run together which he took and it was, ultimately, enough to pull a frame back at 5-4.

What proved to be the final frame of a thrilling night’s snooker featured a 12-minute chase of the yellow.

Trump blinked first, allowing Carter to clear the required balls to take victory and set up a last four clash against the winner of the quarter-final between Mark Allen and Gary Wilson.