Champion of Champions semi-final predictions: Trump holds all the cards

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for Judd Trump v Mark Selby at the Champion of Champions from the University of Bolton Stadium.

Where to watch

ITV4, 7pm Friday

Best bets

Judd Trump -1.5 frames
2pts 11-10 general

Match preview

Judd Trump had been scraping around for some form in the early part of the new season but the manner in which he has set out on his Champion of Champions title defence indicates he may well have found it.

The Ace in the Pack opened with a 4-2 victory over Luca Brecel before taking on a tough assignment in the quarter-finals, doing battle with the in-form Mark Allen, fresh from his Northern Ireland Open success.

Trump disposed of the dangerous Allen 6-1 and as a result has dropped just eight frames over his last six matches in this tournament, winning 34 himself in that run.

Now, the 33-year-old faces Mark Selby in a mouthwatering semi-final.

Selby followed up a 4-0 win over Lee Walker in his opening matchup with a battling 6-4 victory over John Higgins.

Despite being two of the biggest names in the sport, the pair haven’t met in a longer format matchup such as this since 2019, when Trump ran out a 9-4 winner in the International Championship.

Although Selby has to be respected, if the defending champion can replicate his performance against Allen, he will be very hard to beat and is fancied to overcome a 1.5-frame deficit on the handicap.

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