Judd Trump moved closer to a first World Championship title by sharing the eight frames on offer this afternoon with John Higgins to hold a 16-9 lead ahead of tonight's final session.
Trump delivered a "controlled annihilation" of John Higgins as he won eight frames in a row to wrest control of their contest at the Crucible yesterday and Higgins knew a positive start was critical.
The Scot duly delivered and came close to a maximum break in the opening frame of the final day of an increasingly astonishing world snooker final.
Higgins potted all 15 reds - including an outrageous double on the last - before missing a relatively simple final black with the colours at his mercy.
Unfortunately, not to be 😢
— World Snooker (@WorldSnooker) May 6, 2019
But an INSANE double from John Higgins 🔥🔥🔥#ilovesnooker @Betfred pic.twitter.com/77fsQ11PZH
It was the eighth century break of the match, matching the previous Crucible record for a world final, and reduced Higgins' deficit to six frames at 12-6. Higgins' steady recovery continued in the following frame as he capitalised on a rare mistake by Trump to compile a break of 59 and reduce the deficit to 12-7.
But Trump showed he was not unnerved by the Scot's mini-comeback as he responded by producing his fifth century of the final, a 101, to move within five frames of victory.
Trump looked on course for back-to-back hundreds in the next but ran out of position and had to settle for a 71 which took him into the mid-session interval 14-7 in front.
Snooker from a different planet! 🌎@judd147t almost makes the most OUTRAGEOUS maxi in Crucible history.#ilovesnooker @Betfred pic.twitter.com/LmkallrFzY
— World Snooker (@WorldSnooker) May 6, 2019
The dazzling snooker continued after the break as Trump fired a 126 for his sixth century of the match to extend his lead to 15-7.
Breaks of 67 and 70 saw Higgins claw back Trump's advantage to six frames, before it was Trump's turn to miss out on a maximum attempt when he hit the penultimate red against the middle jaw.
Trump's 104 in that frame was the 100th century break of the tournament and also drew Trump level with Ding Junhui's record of seven tons in a single Crucible match, as he takes a 16-9 lead into the evening session.
