Saudi Arabia Masters final as it happened – Judd Trump defeats Mark Williams in £500,000 final-frame decider

Congratulations to Judd Trump, who will head back to the UK with a cheque for £500,000 in his hip pocket and the title of Saudi Arabia Masters champion. Two titles this season in Shanghai and Riyadh so far and a second place in Xi’an. Not a bad run of form for the Juddernaut.

“I’m in shock. Mark was much the better player,” said Trump. “His long potting over the distance was unbelievable. I don’t deserve to win. He was the much better player. But it won’t mean much to him. I managed to get over the line.”

A total clearance of 72 from Trump to see it out. Williams two pots away from victory, but missed a red and that was the end of the road for him. Probably better player on the night, but couldn’t put it away. And pays a heavy price. Judd collects the £500,000 first prize, Williams with the £200,000 runners-up cheque.

This could be a huge steal by Trump in the decider..only the colours to come..

But a red stays out on 62. Needed red and black to seal it, but stays out. Wriggles in the jaws. And Trump can launch the counter attack. This is unbelievable stuff as a red to left middle goes in.

And Williams continues the break with a stunning plant that had to be made on two reds. Wow! What a visit here from Willo!

Super shot from Mark to run white off two cushions, and up for the blue. That is a majestic shot.

And Williams slams in a corking long red! Right off the bat from the Trump break-off shot. What a shot that is! First chance to the Welshman.

Break of 90 from Trump, and it is 9-9 in the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters final. Hold onto your seats!

Judd needs one more red, but ends up potting two at one time. And we will have a one-frame decider for £500,000. Chance of a century for Trump too.

Great recovery pot on a red by Judd to right middle to keep this break going. Plenty of reds in the open. Looks like 9-9 is going to be coming up in this final. If Judd controls his white. Or even if he doesn’t. Such is his potting prowess.

A few early safety exchanges in this 18th frame of the match. Who will get the vital first chance? Blunder by Williams, and he sticks up a red over a top bag. First chance then to Judd.

A majestic total clearance of 138 from Mark Williams, and he is running into peak form at exactly the right moment of this final: the business end.

Fourth century of the final from Mark Williams, who will need one more frame to claim the £500,000 first prize in Riyadh. He is going to lead 9-8.

Well, this is vintage Williams out there. Almost knocked red in off potting blue. Red stayed up, and he then cracked open the reds off the red. And this has been the outcome. Trump only broke off in this frame. It is kill or be killed out there.

This is unbelievable from Williams. Almost knocks the red in as he goes into the pack off blue, but red just stays up over a hole. And that could be the frame-winner. A matter of inches in top level sports.

That is a stunning long red and black combo to right centre by Williams, who again gets first poke at these balls. What can Williams make here? Deserves everything he gets from those opening two shots. Magical stuff from the Welsh icon.

What a magical pot by Willo to the yellow bag. Just needed the red, and he slammed it down the length of the table. So, so good. We are all square once again with only a possible three frames left in this gripping final.

Williams made a mess of a safety shot, and he leaves a red for Trump to slot one to left middle. But Trump this time breaks down on 16 this time among the balls as a red stays out trying to float it in to hold for black. That is a shocker. Didn’t expect that. Can Williams level us up at 8-8? Should be a done deal when he finishes this visit to table.

This is looking very good from Williams to get in, and up and running. But he breaks down this time on 43 after pack of reds don’t open off black. Showing his disgruntlement, but regroups with a solid safety shot.

Judd goes for a long red early in 16th frame off the break-off shot. Doesn’t drop, and he leaves Williams an easy starter. Willo dropping in difficult balls for fun under pressure here. Golden chance again. 30 and 35 previous breaks over past two frames. Needs to be bigger this time.

A break of 65 from Trump after the blunder by Williams that is set to give him an 8-7 lead. Almost missed the final red under pressure, but comes up with stunning pot on brown using rest to green bag to get himself over the line. All on the line now with Trump needing two more frames, Williams just the three.

Williams leaves the reds wide open in trying to get white back to baulk, and is all set to be punished surely with reds the mercy of Trump for an 8-7 lead. Williams having two chances in past two frames. Making only 30 and 36 has been so costly.

Getting very nervy now as Williams clips in a red, but then overcuts a thin brown. Judd with a pot on red using a rest. But overscrews white and is forced to run safe.

Only 35 this time as he doesn’t attack pack with any pace off blue. Just the safety to follow. Which is an anti-climax.

Another superb long red by Williams straight off the bat. He gets first crack at the balls then in this 15th frame. What can he produce here? Broke down on 30 in previous frame.

Frame not going anywhere, and both men decide they’re going to go for the re-rack in the 15th frame.

Fine long red and yellow from Mark at outset of the 15th frame, but can’t slide beyond the blue for the next red. So on we go with another safety joust for supremacy.

One error by Williams in missing a red, and Judd steps in with a brilliant knock of 76 in no time at all. And this final is level again at 7-7. Phew! That was some response.

But no big visit this time, as a red stays out and Judd leaps out of his seat to power in a red to left centre. Big contribution coming up from the Juddernaut. That was a super opening pot on red to land on black.

A ragged opening attempt at a red by Judd, and Willo responds by floating in a long red to a top bag. This is another very decent chance to get moving. Williams suddenly dominating the table, and doing all the scoring.

A 77 break from Mark Williams gets the job done every day of the week, and suddenly Judd trails for the first time since the first frame. Game well and truly on in Riyadh. Williams has got the trademark slow walk on between shots in winning six of the past eight frames.

Three minutes gone in this frame, and Willo is inching towards a 7-6 lead in this massive final. Looking more and more like he fancies the job tonight.

Willo first to the punch in this 13th frame. Will be looking to crack on here with the momentum firmly in his corner now. Clearly seeing the balls nice and clearly this evening in Riyadh.

A superb snooker by Williams. Judd escapes, but leaves a long red which Williams buries with some relish, and there is no stopping him as he mops up to the brown to restore parity at 6-6. What a final this is! Coming to the boil nicely with the Welsh Potting Machine well oiled this evening in Riyadh. Both men chasing four more frames for the £500,000 first prize. Game on!

No killer counter clearance by Judd though on this occasion. Down to the final two reds, with a safety joust to settle it. Tension is palpable.

Would you believe that? On a break of 46, and looking all set to level, but a tricky red stays up. That is a bad miss. Will it be pivotal in this final? Trump with the counter attack.

Lovely little flicks and nudges on reds by Williams, who has a really fine scoring chance to bring this final level at 6-6. All about minding your white here.

Error by Judd trying to wheel white back to baulk, but Mark can only slot a solitary red. Judd bangs in a red after a Willo safety blunder. But Trump then misses a tough black from white on side cush. Chance then for Williams to again gain vital traction.

A quite superb effort of 101 from Williams this time. Red eludes him to right middle, but that matters not a jot. One more frame to come before the mid-sesh interval.

Chance to register a third century of this final. Which tells you how well he is scoring in Riyadh.

This is a tremendous response from Williams as he closes in on hitting back to within one frame of Judd at 6-5. Just looking very, very composed among the balls at close range.

Mark first to punch in this 11th frame of a possible 19 frames. Great pot on a long red by Williams, and continues break by prodding a red to right middle. This is a decent chance to build a solid lead.

Trump putting the frame to bed for a 6-4 lead. Willo left to reflect on what might have been after that horror miss on red. Chances for both men in opening two frames, but it is as you were in this showpiece match. Two more frames before the break.

What a stunning long pot that is by Williams. In all sorts of trouble, but picks out a fabulous red from baulk cushion. Knocks in black, but then misses an easy red. And that is a poor shot at the worst possible time. Could cost him the frame as a relieved Judd returns to table.

Judd making a strong start to this 10th frame. Cans a long red, and is already making progress here towards regaining his two-frame lead. But not ideally on a red, and just the safety shot to follow. Happy to be patient.

So there we have it then. Judd with a few chances to move three to the good. Not taken, and Williams isn’t up for refusing his chances. A 5-4 lead for Trump.

So a lead of 20 points for Williams in the ninth frame. Refuses tough cut back on black to play a solid safety shot. Blunder by Judd in trying to edge the white off a red and back to baulk. Williams slams in mid-range red. Glorious chance to close to within one frame. Superb shot from yellow to red, and right in the ball game now.

These two players are pretty decent in the tactical side of matters. Mistake by Williams sees him nudge a red over a left middle. Trump then knocks in brown, but then misses a red to right centre. Well, that is a surprise. Williams with a brilliant cut on a red to gain access to the table. Chance then for Mark to score a few.

No damage done with Judd only running in six off that visit. Which will be a relief to Willo. A very cagey opening to this final sesh.

Frame nine is off and running via the Trump break-off shot. These are all huge moments in the final, but Willo would dearly love to claim three frames before the mid-session break. The Welshman goes for a long one. Doesn’t drop, and he sticks up an easy red for Judd to get started.

And perhaps the final frame, the final black..as the iconic Ted Lowe once said about the famous Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor 1985 world final. Snooker has come a long way since those days. As far as Riyadh with the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters set to be settled tonight. Judd Trump leads Mark Williams 5-3 in the race for the £500,000 first prize. First man to 10 claims the trophy and also hits the jackpot. Will we need to go the distance tonight? Who knows, but stranger things have happened.

Trump clears up to the brown to take a two-frame lead into the evening session.

Both players are far bigger than odds on to pot into the middle pocket when there is any degree of difficulty. This time Williams misses a pink into the left middle.

A Trump miss and a Williams in-off and then another easy miss. This time Trump into the left (the other) middle.

Williams misses a red stretching over a pack, Trump misses a chance he’d usually nail, but then Williams misses a long blue – and now Trump is on the table.

Williams kicks things off with a briliant long red with the cue ball well behind baulk.

Back-to-back total clearances! This time a break of 135. Remarkable turnaround. How will the last frame in the session go?

The frame is won, will it be a second successive century?

A brilliant long red starts Williams off and he looks well capable of turning it into another big break after stretching to angle in a tough black.

The first hundred of the match in the sixth frame. And it is a total clearance of 121 with a trick shot on the black to finish.

And just like that…the Welsh Potting Machine is back in business. He’s secured the frame, can he make a ton.

Williams first on the table and after slightly falling out of position, edges a red into THAT right middle successfully. Braver man than me.

Trump pots yellow, green and brown to extend his lead.

Williams pots the red and colour but then misses the yellow, it is hard to see him putting together a meaningful clearance at present.

After a glut of misses each, Trump takes the lead up to 27 with one red left on the baize.

Williams again sees a break breakdown and, of course, it was a shot to the right middle. This time an acute black with the blue spot just behind it. Trump just fails to get position off a cannon though so Williams remains in the frame.

After a period of safety play, Trump lets Williams in and surely he needs to make him pay now.

Trump falls out of position, but a loose shot from Williams immediately gives him another chance.

Williams first on the table but another miss to the right middle, this time attempting a red – and now Trump is set after a fine black along the cushion.

A break of 66 gives Trump a two-frame lead heading into the interval.

Don’t say it, don’t say it…but Trump looks well placed to put together a frame-winning break now. There, I said it.

Unbelievably the right middle proves the goalkeeper again. Williams was certain his yellow was going in, but it drifted into the jaws.

A lose safety allows Trump to get over the line and go in front.

Of course that didn’t happen. But we did get tantalisingly close to the match’s first half century.

Trump looks in full flow now, surely this is a frame won in one visit.

Williams leaves the pink on and then Trump plays a good positional shot…and just squeezes in the black.

A fantastic brown to blue, but the right middle pocket again proves impenetrable as Williams hits the far jaw with the pink.

Both players have missed a number of chances to take this frame. Incredibly scrappy from these two greats. Williams now at the table with the colours left. The blue is on the bottom cushion.

Williams looks set on the table now. A good chance to go two-up.

Uncharacteristic from Trump today, missing a regulation blue off the spot.

A good shot with the rest has set Trump up with a chance to build a big score.

A fine middle-range red set up Williams to clear down to black and take the first frame.

Williams puts a little run together but the breaks ends with a poor positional sense off the green.

Trump lays a snooker and Williams makes a hash of his first escape hitting both jaws of the middle pocket, but fortunately doesn’t leave a red on. He misses his second too. Third time he hits a red and leaves a safe table.

Errors galore, Trump misses a yellow, but then Williams puts the cue ball into the green pocket. Then Trump misses a long pot.

Williams misses a red to middle and Trump now has a good chance.

An early miss from Williams hitting the pink, but any thoughts of nerves are banished as he rolls in a long black in trademark style and now he is away.

Trump gets the game underway.

Martin Garrix the choice for Judd.

His countryman Tom Jones serenades him in.

Not quite Super Bowl level of star power, but creating a pleasant ambience.

The match will be underway shortly.

He is around the 1/3 mark to take the £500,000 winner’s cheque, with Mark Williams a little disrespected at bigger than 2/1.

Thanks for joining our live coverage of the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters where Judd Trump takes on Mark Williams in what promises to be an electrifying encounter.

• Judd Trump v Mark Williams

• Judd Trump v Mark Williams

Mark Williams 6 – 3 Si Jiahui

Judd Trump 6 – 5 Shaun Murphy