Judd Trump edges out Mark Williams in classic World Snooker semi-final

Judd Trump withstood a stirring fightback from Mark Williams to win a final-frame decider and reach the World Championship final for the third time.

Trump saw a 12-5 lead evaporate as the Welshman clawed his way back to lead 16-15 and threaten what would have been the greatest semi-final recovery in Crucible history.

But having gone behind for the first time, Trump hauled back level then produced two outrageous cross-doubles to nudge over the line in a tension-filled decider to seal a 17-16 win.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is closing in on his eighth world final after winning five of the eight frames in the penultimate session of his last-four clash against John Higgins.

Resuming 10-6 in front after clinching a thrilling last frame on Friday night on a re-spotted black, the 46-year-old secured a 15-9 advantage to leave him requiring just two more frames on Saturday evening to progress.

Despite firing three centuries, O’Sullivan was clinical rather than vintage as he mopped up after a succession of Higgins mistakes, the Scot showing his frustration by slamming his cue into the floor when he let his opponent in early in the 22nd frame.

Higgins had appeared set to show no ill effects from the Friday night drama as he took the essential opening frame of the morning, but a break of 82 by O’Sullivan swiftly re-established his four-frame advantage at 11-8. The Scot clawed back again before the pair swapped tons, O’Sullivan compiling a 101 and Higgins responding on the other side of the mid-session interval with a 103 to haul back to 12-9.

Higgins fluffed a simple red to the middle in the next frame, ending a promising break of 16 and letting in O’Sullivan to fire a devastating 121 – the 100th century of this year’s tournament – to