“A prestigious tournament is coming to a close in York, England”, — write: sport.ua
A year ago, Ace became the champion of Great Britain for the second time, defeating Barry Hawkins (10:8) in the title match. Trump won his first Triple Crown victory in York in 2011, defeating Mark Allen in the final. However, he failed to win the 2014 final against Ronnie O’Sullivan (9:10) and the 2020 decider against Neil Robertson (9:10). Both times he lost in the deciding frame.
A win in the final would potentially allow Trump to join an elite group of players who have managed to defend the UK Championship title. Only Stephen Hendry, Steve Davies and Ronnie O’Sullivan managed it.
England’s Judd Trump is aiming for his first title in 2025, and a defeat would mark his first trophy-less appearance in a calendar year since 2013.
Neil Robertson missed out on a fourth UK Championship title. However, he can rest easy as he prepares for the final tournament of the year, the Scottish Open, satisfied with what he has achieved this season. A check for £500,000 at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters was the biggest in his career.
Series 65 and 82 helped Judd Trump lead 2-1 at the start of the semi-final, but Neil Robertson went into the break in better spirits after a superb run of 114 to level the score at 2-2.
The game resumed with a grueling fifth frame lasting 47 minutes. After tactical exchanges, it was Robertson who eventually seized the advantage and took the lead for the first time in the score 3:2). However, it was also the last time the player from Melbourne led. Trump quickly recovered from the setback immediately after the break. Series 72, 53, 68 and 53 brought him four frames in a row and a 6-3 victory.
Judd Trump: “I still felt positive even after losing the fifth frame. Most of the time this season, I would put my head down. But I managed to go first in the next frame, win it quickly and I was back in contention.
It’s great to be in the final again. I feel that the last weeks and months have been much more stable. I’ve been to a few finals recently, but it’s always a shame to lose. I need to use this as motivation and determination to come out victorious. I am happy with my game. It was a brilliant lineup of semi-finalists.”
Mark Selby beat close friend and rival Sean Murphy 6-3 to reach the final in York.
It was the 35th meeting between these players. With Selby’s win, the score is 20–15 in head-to-head matches. Selby will approach the final with high confidence after defeating Trump in the recent Champion of Champions final.
24-time ranking winner Mark Selby reaches his first UK final since 2016 when he defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan (10-7) in an epic title match. He is a two-time champion, having also won the tournament in 2012 when he defeated Murphy in the final.
Defeat stopped dreams Shauna Murphand claim another UK title since he first won the tournament in 2008. However, it’s another strong week for the Magician, who won the British Open earlier this season.
Selby took the opening frame with a break of 74, but Murphy immediately hit back with a run of 131 to restore parity at 1-1. Series 73 and 104 helped 42-year-old Selby get a solid advantage (4:1).
Murphy took the next two frames and fought back to cut the deficit to 3-4. However, Selby made runs of 72, 55 and 127 in the following frames to seal the match 6-3. He missed only 12 balls in the entire match.
Mark Selby: “I felt good from the beginning to the end. I was a little nervous at the start, but that’s understandable. It was a huge match for both of us in the fight to reach the Triple Crown finals. After the break I felt relaxed and thought I had a good game. Sean hits balls as well as anyone I’ve ever played with. I knew I had to play well to win the match.
A win would mean a lot to me. It’s been 9 years since I’ve been to a UK final. I haven’t been doing very well at the Masters in recent years either. It would be nice to try to get to 10 Triple Crown titles.
I love playing against Judd. He’s great at acting and looks a lot like Ronnie. He’s fun to play against and has a lot of support as well. It’s going to be a great event and I can’t wait to get started.”
Judd Trump and Mark Selby will play in the title match on December 7. The match will take place in the format of up to 10 won frames (maximum 19 games), and the winner will receive £250 thousand).
According to the materials of the World Snooker Tour
Snooker. 2025 UK Championship
York (England), 29.11–07.12.2025
1/2 finals. December 6, 2025
- 15:00. Judd Trump (England) – Neil Robertson (Australia) – 6:3
- 21:00. Mark Selby (England) – Sean Murphy (England) – 6:3
Tournament grid
Video fragments of matches