Players Championship snooker: Ali Carter ‘very close to best’ after ending Judd Trump’s record title bid

Ali Carter feels he is approaching peak form after completing back-to-back victories over world No. 2 Judd Trump to reach the semi-finals of the Players Championship on Wednesday night.

The two-time Crucible finalist will meet Mark Allen or Welsh Open champion Gary Wilson in the semi-finals of the elite 16-player ranking event on Friday night.

“I’m 45 this year and I’m in the top eight of the world, which isn’t bad. I’m going to keep searching for improvement, getting better and winning.”

The win sees Carter overtake Ding Junhui in the race to qualify for the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabi next month (March 4-6) with the top eight in the world earning a trip to the lucrative competition.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, Trump, Luca Brecel, Allen, Mark Selby and Murphy have already qualified for the tournament.

John Higgins, Zhang Anda and Gary Wilson must go beyond the last eight to remain in the hunt to deny Carter the eighth and final place.

The world No. 8 is also set to secure a spot at the Tour Championship in Manchester in April (1-7) with the qualifiers extended from the top eight to the top 12 on the sport’s one-year list after the World Open in Yushan (18-24 March). Carter occupies ninth place in the standings.

“It will be a great match whoever I play in the semi-finals. I will have to be on top form and I’m sure that I will be.”

Trump’s defeat ends his latest bid to topple O’Sullivan from the top of the world rankings with the UK and Masters champion remaining 90,000 points clear before he meets old rival Selby in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening.

The two-time Players champion needed the £125,000 first prize to have a chance of overtaking the snooker GOAT at the summit.

O’Sullivan has held the covered world No. 1 spot since his 18-13 win over Trump in the 2022 world final earned him a seventh Crucible triumph.