The top three players in the world have all made it to the semi-finals, with only Hawkins managing to break through as a non-seed, becoming the biggest surprise of this tournament. All four semi-finalists are British, giving this championship a unique mark of the "snooker powerhouse."
The match between Trump and Kyren Wilson is considered a prelude to the final. Trump's path to the semi-finals has been quite tortuous but full of highlights, starting with a thrilling comeback against Robertson, followed by a one-shot kill against veteran Higgins, and then a big win to easily eliminate Zhang Anda.
On the other hand, Kyren Wilson's matches have seemed particularly relaxed, sweeping Marquardt 6-0 in the first round, steadily defeating Wakelin, and then eliminating the lower-ranked Holt, hardly encountering any real resistance.
The two have met twice in the finals this season, each with wins and losses. Kyren Wilson won the Xi'an Grand Prix with his stable performance, while Trump lost in the Northern Ireland Open. The psychological advantage and game insights shown by Wilson make him confident when facing Trump.
The other semi-final focuses on Hawkins versus Mark Allen. Hawkins' performance in this tournament can be described as a representative of the underdog, from reversing O'Sullivan in the first round, to killing Gilbert, and then easily defeating Shaun Murphy, his path to the semi-finals is full of drama. In contrast, Mark Allen's promotion process has been smooth and successful, not encountering too many strong opponents, with opponents generally ranked low.
From the schedule, Hawkins' consecutive tough battles have brought him to a new level in terms of mentality and state, while Allen seems relatively relaxed and may need to quickly adjust his rhythm in the semi-finals to adapt to higher intensity competition.
Hawkins, who was not favored, has now become one of the most likely candidates to create miracles. Facing the hot form of Mark Allen, whether he can continue his previous underdog performance becomes the biggest suspense of the match. If Allen can defeat Hawkins, it will lay a solid foundation for his bid for a second UK Championship title.
The atmosphere inside and outside the stadium has already reached its peak, with every shot potentially rewriting the situation. Who will be the ultimate champion? Let's wait and see!
