On the night of January 17th, Beijing time, the third quarter-final match of the 2025 Snooker Masters concluded. Although Ding Junhui took a 3-1 lead in the first half, World No. 1 Judd Trump exploded in the second half, unleashing a streak of five consecutive victories from just after 10:30 pm to before midnight, less than an hour and a half later. Ding Junhui was overwhelmed, ultimately losing 3-6 and exiting the competition in the quarter-finals.
Entering 2025, Ding Junhui has faced Trump twice, both in exhibition matches. He won both matches in the Hangzhou Invitational and Lhasa Challenge, each with a total score of 5-4, including a remarkable comeback in the Hangzhou Invitational where he turned the tables after Trump made a maximum break of 147 and led 4-1, securing match point. These two victories have filled Chinese fans with high hopes for Ding Junhui, hoping he could defeat Trump again at one of the three major snooker events, the Masters, achieving a triple kill against the world's top player.
In the first half, Ding Junhui played exceptionally well, taking the lead by scoring 70 points in the opening game, followed by another victory with 74 points in the second game's complex situation. Trump responded with 75 points in the third game to win one back. Ding Junhui then scored 72 points in the fourth game to complete a single-game reversal, leading Trump 3-1 into the intermission. In the first four games, Ding Junhui seized opportunities, demonstrating his strong ability to seize the initiative, scoring three times over 70 points, showcasing the psychological advantage he had recently gained over Trump.
However, after the intermission, Trump completely turned the tide of the match, continuously scoring 97, 53, 125, 62, and 75 points, often finishing off the frame with a single shot, leaving no opportunity for Ding Junhui to get on the scoreboard. By the time he won the eighth frame with a total score of 6-3, Trump had already accumulated 368 points! Trump's continuous scoring ability is truly astonishing! Post-match statistics showed that Trump had a long-range success rate of as high as 91% and a potting success rate of 95%. With such a formidable Trump, it seems no one can stop him!
