| Betfred World Snooker Championship final |
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| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 5-6 May Final session: 19:00 BST |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two, Red Button, iPlayer, Connected TV, BBC Sport website and app. |
Judd Trump needs just two more frames to claim his maiden World Championship title after securing a 16-9 lead in the final against John Higgins.
Englishman Trump led 12-5 overnight and knocked in three century breaks to take the total ton count for the match to a new record of 11 for a Crucible final.
They both had 147 maximum attempts and brought up the tournament’s 100th century break in an electric session.
Higgins showed his fighting spirit to ensure a final session at 19:00 BST.
Masters champion Trump, who lost to his opponent in the 2011 Crucible final, is aiming to complete snooker’s Triple Crown, while Higgins is looking to win the title for the fifth time having lost the two most recent finals.
Sunday’s opening day was described by 1997 champion Ken Doherty as “one of the best ever” as the two players fired in frame-winning contributions at every opportunity, while 29-year-old Trump seized control of the match by winning eight frames in a row.
Higgins came out firing in the third session, sinking a stunning double on a tricky red before missing the 15th black while on a maximum 147 break, and the Scot then followed it up with 59.
But Trump, who had needed a final frame to beat Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and then came from behind in his second-round match with China’s Ding Junhui, showed his class with knocks of 101 and 71 to lead 14-7.
The Englishman needed to win all four of the following frames to win the match with a session to spare, but Higgins’ 67 in the 23rd frame guaranteed there would be an evening finish.
He made a further 70 but Trump’s brilliant 104 under pressure with 13 reds and 13 blacks brought up his seventh century of the final to put him on the verge of snooker’s biggest prize and a record £500,000 in prize money.
Analysis – ‘wonderful theatre’
Former champion John Parrott: “I have never seen three consecutive sessions as good as we have seen in this final. Both players had chances to get a maximum, it was wonderful theatre with people on their feet. If you didn’t enjoy that today you don’t like snooker.”
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry: “Judd Trump knows the job he has to do and I don’t think anything will make him deviate from that.
“If he wins this he may wonder if he had dedicated himself sooner to the game, how much more he could have won.”
Tournament stats
Centuries in 2019 final: 11 – Trump 7, Higgins 4 (beats previous record of eight set by Stephen Hendry & Peter Ebdon in 2002 and Ronnie O’Sullivan & Barry Hawkins in 2013)
Most centuries in 2019 tournament: Trump 14, Higgins 12 (best is 16 by Hendry in 2002)
2019 tournament centuries: 100 (previous best of 86 set in 2015 and matched in 2016)
Highest tournament break: John Higgins 143 v David Gilbert – semi-final (last 147 was by Stephen Hendry in 2012)
Players to have made a century at this year’s event: 23 out of 32 who featured at the Crucible.
