Players Championship: Judd Trump to face Marco Fu in final

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Judd TrumpImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Trump lost the deciding frame to Stuart Bingham in the Welsh Open final last month

Judd Trump secured a place in his fifth ranking final of the season as he beat Ali Carter in the Players Championship semi-final in Llandudno.

Carter fought back from a 4-2 deficit to level at 4-4 and set up a thrilling finish at Venue Cymru.

A break of 89 took Trump 5-4 ahead and he seized the last frame to reach his first Players Championship final.

The world number three will face Hong Kong's Marco Fu on Sunday after Fu beat world number five Ding Junhui 6-5.

"On current form Judd Trump is the best player in the world and a lot of people would agree with me so he'll be the favourite," said Fu.

"I need to improve because I'm in the final but I've been relying on my 'B' game throughout the week."

Ding, who made two breaks over 90 in his 5-2 quarter-final win over Anthony Hamilton, won three frames in a row to move within one frame of victory against Fu at 5-3.

But Fu reduced the deficit courtesy of a 61 clearance and took the next to set up a decider, which he captured with a composed break of 98.

Fu in his second ranking final of the season after winning the Scottish Open in December, while he also beat Trump 6-5 at the Masters in January.

"That Masters win was one of the best matches I've been involved in - it's tough to produce that standard again but that's my goal," added Fu.

"I'll be up for the final - this is a great tournament and all the players want to win it so both of us will be determined."

Players Championship - draw and results

Final

Judd Trump v Marco Fu

Semi-finals

Judd Trump 6-4 Ali Carter

Marco Fu 6-5 Ding Junhui

Quarter-finals

Mark Selby 2-5 Marco Fu

Ding Junhui 5-2 Anthony Hamilton

Neil Robertson 3-5 Ali Carter

Ronnie O'Sullivan 3-5 Judd Trump

Round one

Stuart Bingham 1-5 Anthony Hamilton

Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-1 Liang Wenbo

Mark Selby 5-4 Ryan Day

Marco Fu 5-1 Anthony McGill

Barry Hawkins 0-5 Neil Robertson

Judd Trump 5-2 Mark King

Ding Junhui 5-4 John Higgins

Ali Carter 5-4 Shaun Murphy

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