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Masters snooker LIVE: Reigning champion Judd Trump knocked out by Ali Carter

luke baker
·43 min read

Defending Masters champion Judd Trump was knocked out by Ali Carter after a thrilling quarter-final which went down to the wire.

Carter was losing 5-4 and facing an exit in the 10th frame only for his opponent to over-cut the match-ball red, allowing the 44-year-old to seize his chance and produce a 43 clearance to take it to a decider.

Boosted by that momentum a break of 64 then saw Carter, who had been 4-2 up only for Trump to fight back with a break of 129 on his way to winning three frames in succession, through to only his second Masters semi in 13 attempts.

“For all the money, I looked like going 5-3 in front and lost my composure for a couple of frames,” Carter said in his post-match interview. “I felt like I worked really hard but was delighted to make an unbelievable clearance to force a decider. Then how I’ve held myself together there, I don’t know - that’s a feather in my cap.”

Relive the action from the quarter-final below:

Judd Trump v Ali Carter - live updates

  • Judd Trump loses 6-5 to Ali Carter in thrilling Masters quarter-final

  • Trump fails to defend the title he won 12 months ago at Alexandra Palace

  • Result: Judd Trump 5-6 Ali Carter

Ali Carter reacts to beating Judd Trump

17:30 , Luke Baker

Some flash reaction from Ali Carter after that hard-fought win over Judd Trump.

“I lost my composure for a couple of frames. I was delighted to make an unbelievable clearance to force the decider. That’s a feather in my cap.”

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FRAME AND MATCH! Judd Trump 5-6 Ali Carter

17:22 , Luke Baker

Another red cut to the left corner with another blue and surely Trump won’t return to the table now! HE runs out of position but leads 68-1, with only 51 points left.

Judd Trump shakes his hand, congratulates him and ALI CARTER WINS THE MATCH 6-5. HE KNOCKS OUT THE DEFENDING CHAMPION!

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:21 , Luke Baker

Trump can only watch from his seat, fearing the worst. Carter frees the pink spot, although the ball itself has run safe. Blues are working for now though. He’s into the 50s for this frame and the remaining points are dwindling. A couple more reds and he’s over the line...

Pots one more red and then sinks the blue to left middle to lead by 61 points with 59 remaining. Judd Trump needs snookers now! Carter on the brink.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:18 , Luke Baker

This is a very tidy break by Carter. When he pots the pink, it goes on the black spot and isn’t pottable into either corner. So he’s forced to use the blue, which makes things trickier.

There’s a cluster of reds covering the pink spot that he’ll need to dislodge. He tries to as he reaches 44 and flicks one away but only has a very tough red to right middle. He gets it! Superb pot, nicely on the blue and he can win from here! Currently a 44-point lead.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:16 , Luke Baker

Carter manages to bring the pink into play by nudging it away from the cluster of reds but the black is tied up down the bottom of the table.

He builds his frame score past 20 using blues and baulk colours but has a tricky pot on a red with the extended rest once he reaches 25. Plays it nicely and back on the blue. Carter ticking along here.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:13 , Luke Baker

This time Carter is able to pot a red and he’s able to pot the blue that is hanging over the yellow pocket but can’t screw the cueball back down the business end of the table as it clips the brown.

It leaves a long-ish red to the left corner, across the table but a lovely shot! Thumped into the heart of the pocket and he’s nicely on the blue. A chance to get some points on the board here for Carter.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:11 , Luke Baker

Mistake by Carter as his safety attempt catches the blue ball on the way back up the table. Trump pots a red into the left corner but the cueball hits other reds afterwards and doesn’t land on a colour.

Just one point for the defending champion there.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:06 , Luke Baker

Carter tucks Trump in behind the green and he has to come off the side cushion to try and roll up to a red but not leave a pot on. He’s agonisingly short with his first attempt, so the balls are replaced. Solid enough attempt second time, so just four points given away by Trump.

Carter does have a possible pot to left middle with limited risk attached but turns it down for a regular safety. We’re still awaiting the first real scoring chance for either player

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

17:00 , Luke Baker

Good break-off by Trump, with the cueball going behind the yellow and not leaving a pot. Brilliant safety response by Carter though - judging his angles and flicking off the red on the way back to baulk. Lovely stuff to begin this final frame.

Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

16:59 , Luke Baker

Ok, here we go! Into a deciding frame. The players shake hands and Trump breaks off. Who do you fancy here?

FRAME! Judd Trump 5-5 Ali Carter

16:58 , Luke Baker

WHAT A POT! Carter plays it confidently and in it goes. Right into the heart of the pocket. A simple final black to follow and Ali Carter gives a massive fist pump in celebration - you can see what that means.

Trump was one pot away from winning the match but Carter steals the frame by a couple of points after a stunning pot on the pink.

ALI CARTER WINS THE FRAME AND FORCES A DECIDER!

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:56 , Luke Baker

Carter goes low on the blue to try and get an angle to dislodge the pink from the side cushion. A MASSIVE shot here. GETS THE CANNON! But the cueball stays near the side cushion. This is a tough pot on the pink. A cut across the table into a blind pocket...

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:55 , Luke Baker

The remaining reds are no problem for Carter. The real issue will be when he gets to the final pink, on the right cushion, up above the blue pocket. Got to get there first though.

He’s stretching for the yellow but it’s in the heart of the pocket. Green and brown follow with minimum of fuss. 63-50 is the score now. Carter needs the remaining three colours to force a decider...

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:54 , Luke Baker

Trump runs slightly out of position off a red and raises his eyes to the heavens. It makes things trickier as he’s cannoning other balls but a lovely dead-weight pot on the black gets him back on track.

BUT THEN A MISS ON MATCH BALL! It’s a thin cut to the left corner pocket (think Steve Davis’s missed black in the 1985 World final against Dennis Taylor) and he way overcuts it! Ali Carter is given a lifeline as he trails 63-28 but has the opportunity to clear the table and nick this frame.

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:51 , Luke Baker

Oh, Ali Carter... Tries to snooker Trump behind the pink but gets it all wrong and leaves the red pottable into the green pocket. A really bad shot from ‘The Captain’.

Trump pots the red and this is a chance to win frame and match. He’s got a few reds available towards the bottom of the table.

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:50 , Luke Baker

Good safety shot by Carter to snooker Trump behind the brown and yellow balls. A couple of escape attempts from the reigning champion miss and the gap is narrowed to 41-28. Valuable points for Carter.

A long time replacing the balls between each attempt by referee Ben Williams as well - important to get it right though. A change of shot from Trump to hit the red near the right cushion. Success!

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:44 , Luke Baker

Oooh, another chance for Carter. Trump rattles a long pot off both jaws of the right corner pocket. Carter with an easy started and can close the gap here.

But oh dear! He cues across a red tot he left corner and misses it by a long way. Not a great shot but no real damage done as Trump doesn’t have a pot. Carter trails 41-20 and that was a good chance to narrow that gap.

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:41 , Luke Baker

Carter does win the safety battle but can only make a break of 16. It narrows his deficit to 25 points but a bad shot ends the break. Trump still in control of this frame at 41-16.

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:35 , Luke Baker

Trump has sharpened up his concentration since that missed green in the last frame. Shifting the cueball around the table, mostly taking blues after each red.

He gets to 34 and then has a key shot, potting the black and screwing into the cluster of reds to open them up. It goes wrong for Trump. Pots the black but only flicks a red and the cueball runs through a gap and finishes towards the baulk end of the table.

There’s no pot available, so Trump plays safe after accruing a 41-0 lead. It’s now or never for Carter, really - has to win this safety battle.

Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:32 , Luke Baker

Carter needs to get his head back in the game but his roll-up into the pack of reds leaves Trump a pot to the left corner. He’s leaning over balls, with his cue jacked up in the air but makes a decent connection and the red drops into the pocket.

His attempt to split the pack goes slightly wrong but still leaves him a red to left middle. He moves into the 20s and this is a great chance to do some serious damage now.

FRAME! Judd Trump 5-4 Ali Carter

16:26 , Luke Baker

A nice shot on the black from Trump swerves the cueball up towards the remaining reds in the baulk area. He pots the one he needs to get over the line - leaving Carter needing snookers.

A couple fo loose positional shots but this has been a good break by Trump on the whole. The break ends but he wins the frame 70-8 and JUDD TRUMP LEADS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT 5-4! One frame needed for victory

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:24 , Luke Baker

Trump may also be a bit nervy but a few unmissable pots help him slowly build and build his lead. The cueball is starting to run out of control a bit though, he’s never quite perfect on a red, then the blue, then another red.

He moves to 59-8 in front, edging ever closer to the line.

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:22 , Luke Baker

It’s ‘shredsville’ now, as Jimmy White would say. Trump misses a very gettable red. Nerves are heightened and this will be a scrap to the line.

Oh dear, Ali Carter may have gone here! A reckless attempted pot that not only misses but sends the reds flying everywhere and leaves Trump an easy starter. He looks fuming at the moment - potentially still ruminating on that massive Trump fluke in the last frame.

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:20 , Luke Baker

Carter doesn’t take advantage though. Runs out of position almost immediately and misses a long red into the green pocket by quite a distance. He trails 30-8 and really didn’t make the most of that chance.

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:20 , Luke Baker

What has Judd Trump done there?! He’s cruising along but misses a simple green to right middle when on 30. Didn’t need to do anything with the cueball, just took his eye off the pot, I guess?

Honestly, it was a sitter for a player of Judd’s standard. The green was only a couple of inches away from the pocket but it hit both jaws and stayed out. Wow!

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:17 , Luke Baker

Both players understandably leave the arena for a quick break after the drama of that last frame. When they return, Trump gets the first chance in frame nine.

Pots a red and the balls are nicely set to build a lead.

Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:13 , Luke Baker

This match is now basically a best-of-three. Judd Trump hasn’t led in this match but he’s now just two frames from victory and the way he lost that last frame will haunt Carter.

He’s an emotional player at the best of times - can he put that out of his mind?

FRAME Judd Trump 4-4 Ali Carter

16:11 , Luke Baker

Granite safety shot by Trump snookers Carter again (deliberately this time...). He hits the green but leaves a pot on for Trump, who sinks it and can now clear the colours.

He does exactly that and JUDD TRUMP STEALS FRAME EIGHT FROM UNDER ALI CARTER’S NOSE. We’re level at 4-4!

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

16:10 , Luke Baker

OH MY WORD! Trump tries to pot the green into the left corner, he misses it and it careens back up the table to rattle the jaws of the yellow pocket and stop in front of it. It would be an easy pot for Carter but the white cannons into the brown ball, which flies across and stops in front of the green, snookering Carter!

Not only can he not pot the green, it’s a tough hit. He might have to go all the way down the table and back up... Carter looks bemused and frustrated here - what a fluke for Judd Trump that was!

Carter tries to sneak along the baulk cushion and does hit the green but the white goes in! You know what, he might have played that! The pace he hit it at, the cueball was always flying in but it knocks the green on to the side cushion over the other side of the table. Even though Judd can place the cueball anywhere in the ‘d’ he can only play safe off the green. Clever shot to sacrifice four points but get the ball safe.

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

16:04 , Luke Baker

Trump trails 58-38 as he takes on a tricky-ish yellow. Makes the pot but the cannon to free the green from the right cushion goes slightly wrong.

Trump has to play safe off the green, so another frame coming down to the colours. Carter leads Trump 58-40 with green, brown, blue, pink and black left.

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

16:03 , Luke Baker

Carter calmly going about his business but when he pots the black and a red is covering its spot, it throws him off. Black goes up to the green spot and he just needs one more red and colour to win the frame but misses the red along the bottom cushion. The break ends at 58, just short of the winning line.

Trump comes back to the table with an easy starting red but some of the other are in tricky positions on cushions. Lovely shot to free one of the reds from the left cushion but there’s still one on the bottom cushion.

It’s 58-32 to Carter but this is the key shot for Trump. A tough shot but pot the red and he’s in a great position to steal the frame... Plays it at pace and it wriggles in! Great pot! Still some work to do but he’s in with a chance of winning it now.

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

15:55 , Luke Baker

Wow! Trump left a long, straight pot and has to try and absolutely hammer the bottom of the cueball to get enough screw-back to bring it up the table. Too much power attempted and he miscues, the white bouncing down the table and hitting another red.

Leaves Carter a tricky pot from tight on the left cushion, he forced to get the spider cue out but pulls out a very impressive pot and lands on the black. The reds are well spread here, so Carter can make a decent-sized contribution here.

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

15:51 , Luke Baker

Trump pots the white as it cannons into the corner pocket off a red. No real harm done though as Carter pots a red but can’t land on a colour.

A safety exchange follows before Trump digs out a long pot but he also can’t land on a colour so plays safe off the green. 12-5 Trump at the moment for what it’s worth.

Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

15:44 , Luke Baker

Carter leaves a red over the left corner pocket at the start of the eighth frame and Trumps slots it. He has a very tough black up into the green pocket but plays it slowly and it drops in. Nice pot.

Things go wrong off the next red though as he catches the balck after the pot and knocks it safe into the bottom of the pack. But Trump pulls out another cracking long pot on the yellow.

An eventful run of 11 so far! And he misses the red down the cushion to the left corner. Carter back to the table, 11-0 down.

CENTURY AND FRAME! Judd Trump 3-4 Ali Carter

15:38 , Luke Baker

Easy street for Trump and he strokes in a black off the 13th red to bring up his century! He can make 142 if he clears the table here.

Nice cannon on the black off the final red keeps things going and then he plays a trademark Trump exhibition shot around the angles to get on the yellow! He misses the pink going for a power pot to the middle but a brilliant break of 129 gets him right back in this match.

JUDD TRUMP WINS THE FRAME TO CLOSE THE DEFICIT TO 4-3

Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:35 , Luke Baker

No dramas from Trump, he pots the sixth-last red to move to 70 points with only 67 left on the table. Carter needs snookers and Trump will win this frame.

A big century for good measure is very possible as well.

Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:34 , Luke Baker

Four reds and four blacks from Trump brings up the question of the 147 but he goes for the blue of the fifth red – rightly focusing on winning the frame.

Picking off reds well here, the reigning champion and he quickly brings up a half-century of points. Showing no signs of slipping up at the moment and plenty of free reds in the open to get over the line in this frame.

Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:31 , Luke Baker

Now it’s a better chance for Trump! Lovely cannon into the pack as he pots his second red splits the cluster nicely, opening up another seven or eight.

The black is available to both pockets and now he can rack up a big lead here as the break moves through the teens and into the 20s.

Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:30 , Luke Baker

Carter gets first look at a pot in frame seven and you fancy him to get it but it rattles the jaws and stays out. Nice pot to the right middle by Trump in response.

Not sure there’s much of an opportunity for big points but Trump in control of the table at least.

Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:29 , Luke Baker

A few pics from this afternoon’s action. Ali Carter will be delighted with how this match is going

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FRAME! Judd Trump 2-4 Ali Carter

15:26 , Luke Baker

Carter capitalises! Pots the brown into the left corner and that’s the ball he needs to win the frame.

He misses the blue but Trump decides not to come back to the table needing two snookers. ALI CARTER WINS THE FRAME TO MOVE 4-2 AHEAD!

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:25 , Luke Baker

Trump leaves himself with a long yellow but crunches it into the heart of the pocket! Great pot. Good angle on the green and he then nudges the brown slightly but it’s a tricky pot tot he left middle across the table.

Trump misses it! Trying to avoid the contact and get on the blue, he misses the pot on the brown.

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:24 , Luke Baker

Trump’s safety goes wrong, so Carter has a shot at the red down the right cushion to win the frame... Misses it and leaves the red over the green pocket.

Easy pot for trump but not as simple to get back down for the black. BUT HE MANAGES IT. Cueball running down the table, cannons the pink and leaves him on the black.

If he can clear the colours, he’ll win this frame!

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:21 , Luke Baker

Trump has a pot on the final red up into the yellow pocket but has to get on the black after it and ends up missing the pot as he runs the cueball down the table. It goes safe though, so Carter won’t be able to pot the ball he needs to win the frame just yet.

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:20 , Luke Baker

Trump rolls a red in dead-weight. It juuuuust has enough pace to reach and drop in. He pots the blue, so needs all blacks with reds from here to keep his frame-winning hopes alive.

It’s very do-able. Four reds easily taken with blacks to to narrow the deficit to 64-30 but the last red is awkwardly sitting near the pink. Tough to get on the black from it.

So discretion is the better part of valour and he plays the snooker off the final red behind the pink. He trails by 34 points with 35 remaining and will await another chance to steal this frame.

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:16 , Luke Baker

A hit-and-hope shot to escape the snooker from Trump and it runs safe! Slice of fortune for Trump but Carter still odds-on favourite to win this frame.

Trump needs to win this safety battle then somehow clear up to snatch it

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:15 , Luke Baker

Carter moves beyond 50 and is smelling the winning line in this frame. The last of the loose reds is potted from the bottom of the pack to take the break to 56, so he has to go for the split from the following black.

Arcs the cueball into the cluster and they split decently but not completely kindly. He leads 63-0 so still needs one more red and colour to seal the frame. A good cut on the red to the left ball but he’s goes awkward with the white. There’s no colour available so he rolls up behind the green.

The break ends at 64. There’s still 67 points on the table but Trump is snookered behind the green

Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:12 , Luke Baker

Frame six underway and Ali Carter is rocking and rolling now. He’s also immediately straight back in among the balls.

He gets into a bit of bother as the break heads into the late 20s, with a red only just dropping and then him being left with a long-ish pot on the next red. He makes it to move to 36 and then goes into the pack off the blue. Only clips the edge but one red comes out and the break continues

FRAME! Judd Trump 2-3 Ali Carter

15:02 , Luke Baker

Carter misses a cut to the left middle. This will be an annoyance he could do without - he’ll want to wrap this frame up. Trump is going for pots and missing them by miles - I’m not sure this exchange is doing either player (or the fans) much good, to be honest.

But eventually Carter finds a pot and ends it. ALI CARTER WINS FRAME FIVE AND TAKES A 3-2 LEAD

Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:56 , Luke Baker

Trump pots a couple of reds with colours as he tries to clear the remaining reds and then focus on getting a snooker but misses a pot to the left corner. He jerks up in surprise - I think he cued across it.

The balls run safe but he still trails 71-16 and needs a snooker. Carter would wrap this up with a single pot if he gets the chance.

Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:52 , Luke Baker

Fairly drama-free break from Carter as he races up to 56 points. Only one loose, available red left towards the left cushion, which he pots nicely and lands on the pink.

Five of the remaining reds are in a central cluster, with another up in baulk. Carter goes up and takes the red in baulk and only needs to pot the black to win the frame. He does, leaving Trump needing snookers at 71 points behind with 67 remaining.

The attempted split of the pack goes wrong though, justifying his decision to take that red in baulk. Trump comes back to the table but trails 71-0 and will need a snooker to get back into this.

Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:48 , Luke Baker

Attacking shot by Carter on 16 as he crashes into the pack off the black and the reds split really nicely. This is a really good chance to win the frame now if he can stay on top of his cueball control.

Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:45 , Luke Baker

Back underway at Ally Pally. This is a best-of-seven match now. Ali Carter pulls out a pot to get in first in frame five. To give him that chance, Trump missed a red up to the green pocket by an absolute mile! It wasn’t even close to jaws, it hit a few inches along the baulk cushion! Very un-Trumpian

MID-SESSION INTERVAL! Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:32 , Luke Baker

A couple of highlights from those opening four frames. A great mini-session of snooker and this match is in the balance at 2-2. You need six frames to win and it feels like this could go all the way.

FRAME! Judd Trump 2-2 Ali Carter

14:25 , Luke Baker

That pot on the yellow makes all the difference for Trump! A simple clearance on the remaining colours and the Bristolian snatches the frame. A great steal and a great match so far.

JUDD TRUMP LEVELS THE MATCH AT 2-2 HEADING TO THE MID-SESSION INTERVAL!

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:24 , Luke Baker

A granite safety shot from Trump as he leaves the yellow hidden by the black with the cueball behind the baulk colours. But Carter comes off the side cushion, hits the yellow and it runs safe on the bottom cushion! Bit of luck maybe but a good hit.

However, the next time Trump is at the table, there’s just enough of a gap to slide past the blue and pot the yellow to the right corner! Trump can win it from here now as he’s nicely on the green.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:22 , Luke Baker

Carter has to get the extended rest out to pot the final red. He gets it, which levels the frame score up at 55-55 but he leaves himself a nasty long pink up into the yellow bag. IT’S THERE!

Good pot but needs to follow up with a good pot on the yellow to get nicely on the green, which is near the baulk cushion. He misses the yellow with the rest!

This frame will come down to the colours. Carter leads 61-55, with only the six colours remaining.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:19 , Luke Baker

Trump collides with the brown as he plays a safety shot and leaves Carter a long pot to the left corner. He takes it! Straight cueing, into the heart of the pocket.

Follows that with a lovely pot across the table on the black, with the cueball tight to the left cushion. Very tough but strokes it in confidently! Reduces his deficit to 55-39 and goes about trying to snatch this frame away from his opponent.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:16 , Luke Baker

The cueball control isn’t great from Trump here. After the near debacle with the previous red, he then does snooker himself on a red to the middle pocket with his following shot!

Forced into a safety shot and although he leads 55-23 with five reds left, that was a golden opportunity for Trump to kill the frame off there.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:15 , Luke Baker

Carter wins the safety battle as he pulls out a long pot to the left corner. Nice pot. But then he tries to roll up behind the black and leaves it short! Bad mistake, Trump makes him play again from that postion and the safety leaves Trump a pot on.

He crunches in a mid-range red and then pots the yellow to come back down the table. Trump now leads 47-23 but may have snookered himself on the red he was looking to pot, behind another red!

Nope, he can just squeeze past the other red and sneak the pot into the left half of the pocket. Now he’s on the black and the frame is at Trump’s mercy!

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:09 , Luke Baker

Trump gives the eight points straight back as he takes a couple of goes to come off the side cushion and roll into the reds. Eventually gets it right and doesn’t leave a pot on - a tap on the table from Carter to acknowledge a good shot. 37-22 to Trump as the safety battle continues.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:07 , Luke Baker

A good safety by Trump in behind the brown earns him eight penalty points as Carter takes a couple of attempts to get his angles right and glance off the reds up to baulk. 37-14 to Trump now but Carter hits them on the third try and no real harm done.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:05 , Luke Baker

The red does pass the black to the right corner and so Carter is back in here. A two-ball plant to the left corner keeps the break going.

Plenty of work to do but Carter in control of the table as he reaches double figures, with Trump on 29. Tries to go round the angles and cannon into the pack but misses them. Just the safety shot with no pot on a red available. Trump leads 29-14.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:03 , Luke Baker

Off that red to the middle, he’s forced to cannon into the black and it runs a little bit safe towards the top cushion. Would be a really tough pot and hard to see where the next red would come from.

He goes for it anyway but misses the black! Rattles the jaws and out. The break ends at 29. That was a very aggressive shot - playing safe may have been the more prudent option there. Carter may be able to pot a red past the black into the right corner here.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

14:01 , Luke Baker

Judd Trump straight back in with a good long red. It was just one miss in that last frame that cost him but he’s actually playing really nicely.

Races to 21 points and then has to go into the pack of reds off the black. It’s not great but he at least has one red available to the right middle. He’ll need to go into the pack again at some point but he’s at the table with a 29-0 lead for now.

Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

13:56 , Luke Baker

That was the 404th century of Carter’s career. This has been a really entertaining match so far – a big, 80+ break in each frame to win it. Good stuff

CENTURY AND FRAME! Judd Trump 1-2 Ali Carter

13:55 , Luke Baker

Carter lands nicely on that last, tricky-ish red, simple pot and the century is at his mercy now. He clears all the colours and the final black takes him to a break of 103 - the first century of the match!

ALI CARTER WINS FRAME THREE TO LEAD 2-1!

Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:54 , Luke Baker

No problem for Carter as he tidies up the remaining loose reds and leaves Trump needing snookers. There’s one trickier red remaining up near the green pocket and that’s all that really stands between him and a century break.

Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:53 , Luke Baker

Carter eliminates the deficit with minimal fuss and now sets about building a lead, with Trump on 28 points and stuck in his chair.

‘The Captain’ gets to 39 points and then plays a clever little cannon on a red that’s a little tied up near the pin spot. Frees it, pots it to middle and this is a golden chance know. He moves beyond 50 and only needs another three reds with colours, all out in the open to seal this frame and retake the lead.

Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:48 , Luke Baker

Carter cuts a red into the left-middle pocket but it’s a tricky pink that he’s left with. Stretching up the table with the cue extension on and quite a thin cut into the green pocket.

He gets it! Great pot by Carter, right in the heart of the pocket. He lands decently enough on a follow-up red and can look to eradicate the rest of his 28-7 deficit now.

Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:46 , Luke Baker

As he reaches 21, Trump explodes into the reds off the black. The black goes in but the bueball runs up beyond the blue towards the baulk cushion.

It leaves a testing long-ish red and he cues across it meaning he misses the red by a reasonable distance. He’s got a 28-point lead but Carter comes back to the table.

Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:44 , Luke Baker

Frame three underway. And Judd Trump is feeling this now. Rolls a long red into the right corner and lands on the green. A couple of loose reds available before he needs to go into the pack, so a chance to build a bit of a lead for the Bristolian.

FRAME! Judd Trump 1-1 Ali Carter

13:41 , Luke Baker

Trump tries to play a cannon on that red on the right cushion but comes up short. He tries a spectacular cross-double to the middle pocket but it misses.

No matter - a superb break of 80 and JUDD TRUMP WINS THE SECOND FRAME TO LEVEL THINGS AT 1-1!

Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:40 , Luke Baker

A really good break by Judd Trump - he’s already looking more settled than in his first-round match against Kyren Wilson. With the pink and black back in play, his job becomes easier and he quickly races past the mark needed to leave Carter needing snookers.

Can he make a century from here? He’ll need all four remaining reds, including a tricky one near the right cushion.

Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:38 , Luke Baker

The hard work of bringing the cueball up and down the table for the blue continues. Oooh, that was close! A mid-range red rattles both jaws but drops in!

Trump takes his break beyond 40 and frees the pink with a screw-back, so this is now a glorious opportunity to win the frame at this visit. Great work so far in the break

Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:36 , Luke Baker

The black goes on to the pink spot after Trump pots it, due to a red covering its normal spot and that leaves both pink and black out of commission. So, only blue and baulk colours for the reigning champion to work with – which makes things harder.

A clever cannon to free the black and land on a red as the break moves to 26. Nice shot from Trump that may make things a little easier, although it’s not clear if the black is available to a corner still or whether reds are in the way

Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:34 , Luke Baker

Trump in first with a confident long red into the right corner. A handy little kiss on a second red as the cueball comes back up the table means he finishes nicely on the blue.

Some work to do but a decent scoring opportunity.

Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:30 , Luke Baker

Frame two underway as Ali Carter breaks. Can Trump hit back straight away?

FRAME! Judd Trump 0-1 Ali Carter

13:28 , Luke Baker

He ends with a break of 85 as he clears all the colours and ALI CARTER TAKES THE OPENING FRAME TO LEAD 1-0.

A good start from ‘The Captain’ here, carrying on his good form from the Mark Williams match.

Judd Trump 0-0 Ali Carter

13:26 , Luke Baker

Carter pots the red hanging over the left corner, follows it up with a black off the spot and Trump needs snookers in this first frame.

Solid enough stuff from Carter and another couple of reds ensure Trump won’t bother coming back to the table.

Judd Trump 0-0 Ali Carter

13:25 , Luke Baker

The reds are dotted around the table, with one even up in baulk but they’re pretty much all pottable bar maybe one. So the cueball is travelling up and down a bit but that becomes easier as fewer balls become left on the table.

Carter takes his break beyond 25 and his frame score towards 50. The winning line is starting to come into view - just one more red and colour needed.

Judd Trump 0-0 Ali Carter

13:22 , Luke Baker

Trump wins the safety battle and gets his first point on the board with a red to the corner but doesn’t land nicely on a colour. Risks a super-thin cut on the green to the left middle but hits the bottom jaw.

Leaves Carter a red to right middle, the green is waiting over the middle pocket and he can build on his 22-point lead here. A second chance in this frame for the Essex man and he’ll be thinking about winning it at this visit.

Judd Trump 0-0 Ali Carter

13:18 , Luke Baker

On 11, Carter is left a testing, mid-range blue up into the green pocket. Lovely pot, right into the heart of the pocket. Good cueing and that will give him some early confidence.

The last loose red takes him to 23, so he’ll have to cannon into the main bunch here off the blue to spread the reds. Key shot in the break... OH NO! He misses the blue. Took his eye off the pot to try and get the split. Break ends at 23, although he doesn’t appear to have left Trump a pottable red.

Judd Trump 0-0 Ali Carter

13:13 , Luke Baker

Trump breaks off and we’re up and running. A rare break nowadays that doesn’t end up leaving a pottable red, so Carter responds with a safety of his own, leaving the cueball near the top cushion.

Trump tries to slow roll a red into the left middle but it clips the jaw and stays out, so an easy starter for Carter and he’ll have first go at building a lead in the opening frame.

Judd Trump v Ali Carter

13:11 , Luke Baker

The players are being brought on to the baize now. This quarter-final will be underway imminently.

Good reception for Ali Carter from the crowd as he’s introduced first but Judd Trump’s welcome reaches another level. Whoops and hollers from the crowd.

Looking forward to this one.

Judd Trump v Ali Carter

13:03 , Luke Baker

So, attention turns to this afternoon’s match. Judd Trump has been having an incredible season - winning a remarkable three ranking events in a row earlier in the campaign.

But Ali Carter is a tough opponent. The 44-year-old from Essex has been around the block enough to be a hardened match player and he’s a heavy, heavy scorer when in the balls. After his win over Mark Williams, he spoke about not letting matches slip away with silly mistakes as he doesn’t no how much longer he’ll have at the very top level.

Their head to head is pretty even. In fact, in matches that are best-of-seven or longer (’proper’ matches rather than one-frame shoot-outs or shorter games in league competitions), the head to head is dead level at five wins each.

Trump won their most recent meeting 10-7 in the Wuhan Open final in October (one of those three ranking events on the spin that I mentioned) although Carter won the match before that – a 6-5 thriller at the Players Championship last February.

It should be a cracker today.

Ronnie O’Sullivan criticises ‘disgusting’ Alexandra Palace venue before Masters semi-final

12:55 , Luke Baker

Ronnie O’Sullivan has hit out at iconic London venue Alexandra Palace, saying it is “disgusting” and playing there makes him “feel ill”.

The snooker world number one is playing at the Masters at Alexandra Palace this week, where he is a seven-time champion, but said he “can’t wait to get out of here” after advancing to the semi-finals.

The 159-year-old venue in north London has hosted the Masters tournament since 2012 and has also staged the PDC World Darts Championship since 2008, where Luke Littler stunned the sport with his run to the final last week.

But O’Sullivan is not impressed by playing at Alexandra Palace and said after his 6-3 win over Barry Hawkins on Thursday: “I just don’t like this place. I find it disgusting.

“Everywhere is dirty. It’s cold. It’s freezing, I have to wear my coat everywhere. You go through car parks. There are bins. Honestly, it just makes me feel ill.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan criticises ‘disgusting’ Alexandra Palace venue: ‘Makes me feel ill’

Ronnie O’Sullivan overcomes illness to grind past Barry Hawkins at Masters

12:48 , Luke Baker

Ronnie O’Sullivan relished the prospect of a “massive, dirty curry” after grinding out a 6-3 win over Barry Hawkins in a Masters quarter-final that lacked spice.

The seven-time Masters winner looked under the weather as he wore a thick coat for his post-match TV interview, muttering: “I fancy a curry – a massive, dirty curry. There’s nothing I don’t like.”

In a match awash with errors from both players, O’Sullivan kicked off with a break of 88 but had to wait until the penultimate frame to post his next half-century, a 60 to move one frame from victory, before wrapping it up with a break of 77

O’Sullivan said he had been “lucky to get through” to what will be his 15th appearance in the semi-finals of the Masters.

“I felt bad for Barry, I just dragged him down to my level. It’s a funny old game,” O’Sullivan told BBC Sport. “I didn’t feel any pressure at all to be honest, maybe that’s why I played like I did. I think you need that pressure sometimes to get you motivated.

Ronnie O’Sullivan overcomes illness to grind past Barry Hawkins at Masters

Judd Trump beats Kyren Wilson in final frame to reach Masters quarter-finals

12:42 , Luke Baker

Defending Masters champion Judd Trump held his nerve to summon a match-winning break of 65 and beat Kyren Wilson 6-5 in a fluctuating first-round clash at Alexandra Palace.

Trump stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to reel off five frames in a row and put himself on the brink of victory before a costly miss in the penultimate frame handed his opponent the initiative.

Wilson looked set to wrap up victory himself when he got in first in the decider but he left a red dangling over the middle pocket on a break of 51 and two-time winner Trump coolly stepped up to book his place in the last eight.

Trump told Eurosport: “It was a bit of a scrappy game and it was nip and tuck the whole way through.

“I felt like I threw it away at 5-4. Kyren made an amazing break to go 5-5 and it looked like he would get over the line but he just left that little gap and I took it quite well.”

Judd Trump beats Kyren Wilson in final frame to reach Masters quarter-finals

Masters snooker schedule

12:35 , Luke Baker

First round (best of 11 frames)

Sunday 7 January

Monday 8 January

Tuesday 9 January

Wednesday 10 January

Quarter-finals (best of 11 frames)

Thursday 11 January

Friday 12 January

  • 1pm: QF1 - Judd Trump v Ali Carter – BBC Two, Eurosport and Discovery+

  • 7pm: QF2 - Mark Allen v Mark Selby – BBC Four, Eurosport and Discovery+

Semi-finals (best of 11 frames)

Saturday 13 January

  • 1pm: Ronnie O’Sullivan v Shaun Murphy – BBC One, Eurosport and Discovery+

  • 7pm: Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF2 – BBC Two, Eurosport and Discovery+

Final (best of 19 frames)

Sunday 14 January

  • 1pm and 7pm – BBC Two, Eurosport and Discovery+

What is the Masters prize money?

12:27 , Luke Baker

Here’s how much the players will earn at Ally Pally this week:

Winner: £250,000

Runner-up: £100,000

Semi-finals: £60,000

Quarter-finals: £30,000

First round: £15,000

Highest break prize: £15,000

Total prize pot: £725,000

When is the Masters and how to watch?

12:21 , Luke Baker

When is the tournament?

The Masters begins on Sunday 7 January at Alexandra Palace, and the final will be played on Sunday 14 January.

How to watch

The entire tournament will be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+, which are the rights holders in Ireland and the rest of Europe. Some matches will also be shown on BBC TV channels.

Viewers can stream the action online via the BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer websites and apps, as well as the Eurosport and Discovery+ website and apps.

Masters snooker schedule and order of play today

12:15 , Luke Baker

Snooker returns to our screens in 2024 with the Masters at Alexandra Palace, one of the sport’s jewels in the Triple Crown.

The Masters is always a special event as the world’s best 16 players go up against one another in a straight knockout format.

Judd Trump is the reigning champion after beating Mark Williams in last year’s final, while Ronnie O’Sullivan is aiming to win a record-extending eighth title.

There are several other past winners in this year’s tournament. Mark Selby has three Masters titles; John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Williams have all won it twice; Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen and Trump all have one title each.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2024 Masters.

Masters snooker schedule and order of play

Judd Trump v Ali Carter

12:09 , Luke Baker

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Masters snooker from Alexandra Palace. The dart boards have been packed away and the snooker table erected at Ally Pally for the first event of the year.

Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Barry Hawkins in yesterday’s afternoon session to book a semi-final spot and we’ve got another cracking match coming up today as the reigning champion, Judd Trump, squares off against Ali Carter in the latest quarter-final.

Stick with us for full live coverage throughout the afternoon.