World Grand Prix final: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Judd Trump
The World Grand Prix final on Sunday promises to be a mouthwatering affair between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.
The two Englishmen will clash at the Morningside Arena in Leicester for the first ranking title of 2024 and the £100,000 top prize.
On Saturday, O’Sullivan produced arguably the performance of the decade so far in his 6-1 semi-final defeat of Ding Junhui.
Although a three-time champion this season in prestigious tournaments, there have been a lot of matches when the Rocket hasn’t performed at his best.
But the perfection he so desperately craves was on show for all to see as he effortlessly wiped the floor of a helpless opponent.
O’Sullivan compiled four century breaks and made two other frame-winning contributions as he orchestrated a near faultless display against a formidable foe.
The 48 year-old is on a 13-game winning streak on the main tour and in this kind of form looks almost unstoppable.
Victory would see him add to the trophies he already collected this season in the Shanghai Masters, the UK Championship, and at the Masters just a week ago.
Tasked with the mission of taking on the world number one at his very best is one of O’Sullivan’s greatest rivals in Trump.
There haven’t been many players over the course of O’Sullivan’s career who have been able to, on a consistent basis, stand up to the pressure of facing the seven-time world champion.
Trump possesses that in his locker, though, as proven by the countless times he has overcome O’Sullivan in final showdowns.
Indeed, this World Grand Prix final will represent the duo’s 13th title-deciding battle against one another in all competitions.
Trump has emerged triumphantly in seven of the previous 12, including at the inaugural staging of this tournament back in 2015.
Yet O’Sullivan has enjoyed the upper hand in more recent times, winning their last three encounters overall.
That run of success included triumphs in the finals of both the World Championship and the Champion of Champions in 2022.
Trump, however, has been the other form player of late, with the 34 year-old set to contest his sixth final of this term alone.
Following a 6-2 defeat of Cao Yupeng in the semi-finals, Trump remains on course to claim a fourth ranking title of the campaign.
If both O’Sullivan and Trump can perform at their best again on Sunday, it promises to be blockbuster viewing.
The 2024 World Grand Prix final pits the world numbers one and two against each other – an occasion not to be missed.
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Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘worried’ despite reaching World Grand Prix semis after retirement hint
Ronnie O’Sullivan will face Ding Junhui in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix.
Ronnie O’Sullivan might have hammered Gary Wilson 5-1 to book his place in the final four of the World Grand Prix but he’s still concerned about his form. The 48-year-old has already lifted the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship and Masters titles in 2024, and his latest victory extended his winning run to 12 consecutive matches.
