World Grand Prix 2024 snooker: Judd Trump into final afte battling win over Cao Yupeng

Judd Trump put a minor mid-game blip behind him to dispatch Cao Yupeng 6-2 and move into the final of the World Grand Prix in Leicester.

The game started tentatively with a host of safeties, before a major misjudgement from the world No. 43 who got his angles all wrong to scuff the cue ball into the blue, opening up the first opportunity for Trump to make a decent break.

Trump, the No. 1 seed at this tournament, needed no further invitation, sinking the first pot of the evening, with another Cao error bringing up 34 on his second meaningful visit, before rifling home another 70 through the pack to take the opening frame.

In only the fourth encounter between the two, Trump’s early surgical precision continued into the second, albeit after a couple of nervy miscues.

Four reds and four blacks took the world No. 2 up to 32, before he sought to plough through the reds in search of a century. A long pink into the green pocket took him one short on 99, before a brilliant red down the cushion brought up the ton and a two-frame lead.

More careless play from Cao was being seized upon by the Bristolian, with another fantastic red into the yellow pocket to get his rhythm going in the third frame, and a 61 break had him thinking that he was to be three frames to the good.

That was until he potted the cue ball off a red into the right corner, but again Cao could not capitalise, with a further 22 from Trump enough to force him over the line.

Cao seemed to find his form in the fourth, with a long red and a yellow to the right middle proving that he was still in the fight.

A brilliant black was followed by another red and black, before a wonderful streak of the yellow over the left middle, the green, brown, blue, pink and black had the Chinese level and forced a re-spot.

A stutter from Trump on his own black was punished at the second attempt, with Cao sinking it to take the fourth and add an edge to the encounter going into the interval.

It was bit and pieces from Cao – he did not make a half century in the contest – but the series of small contributions were enough to secure the fifth and get him with one frame of Trump.

A magnificent red from Cao after a superb Trump safety raised the pressure, but Trump stemmed the tide and was able to restore a two-frame cushion.

Two reds and a black for the Chinese saw him edge in front in the seventh, but after more safety play, Trump was in the ascendancy once more after a Cao mistake, leaving the cue ball at the top end of the table to set the world No. 2 up for a run at the big-value colours.

A break of 48 was what the doctor ordered as Trump cleared the reds and added a blue to put him a frame from the final.

A 51 break had Trump steaming towards victory, before he was halted by a tricky black that just faded from the far knuckle. Cao had a chance at a counter, but a black rattled in the jaws to leave him requiring snookers.

A red down the cushion effectively killed off any lingering hope the Chinese had, as he could only sit and watch Trump pot it. Cao played on but offered his hand in defeat with the score at 69-36.

Laast year’s beaten finalist will be back for another showdown, where he will meet either Ronnie O’Sullivan, fresh off his Masters victory, or Ding Junhui, the world No. 11.