Players Championship snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Higgins vs Xiao & Robertson vs Wilson TONIGHT after Trump win – updates
THE Players Championship is racing towards the business end of the tournament ahead of the final on Sunday!
World No1 Judd Trump secured his spot in the semi-finals after he thrashed Shaun Murphy in an epic 6-0 whitewash. Trump will meet one of Xiao Guodong or John Higgins - who play at 1pm on Friday - in the last four on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Australian Neil Robertson beat Mark Selby 6-3 in Thursday's opener to progress to the semi-finals, where he will face Kyren Wilson on Friday night.
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Birthday boy!
It would be remiss of us to forget to wish Mark Williams a happy birthday!
The Welsh icon - one of sport's all-time greats and a three-time snooker world champion - has turned 50.
Remarkable he is still at the very top of the sport after three decades as a pro.
Williams is currently 10th-favourite to win a fourth world title at the Crucible next month...
The World Snooker Tour even sent Williams a special kebab-themed cake to mark the event!
Robertson vs Wilson - head-to-head
Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson met in a semi-final for the first time since the World Grand Prix in 2020 - with Robertson winning a tight 6-4 clash that time.
Their rivalry sits at 8-8 all-time, but Wilson won all three of their meetings in 2024, two in the Championship League and one at the German Masters.
Stats via CueTracker.net
Higgins vs Xiao - head-to-head
John Higgins and Xiao Guodong have only faced each other 10 times previously in their careers, with the Wizard of Wishaw having a narrow 6-4 lead.
Their previous five meetings all came in the Championship League, so this will be their first time meeting in a ranking semi-final.
Stats via CueTracker.net
Tough Wilson test
Robertson is also looking forward to his match tonight against Kyren Wilson - and match his aggresive style of play.
The Aussie added: "You need to stand up and be counted. It is as simple as that. He plays very aggressively.
"I don’t think either one of us will step down at any point in the match, we are both going to really go for it.
“I love the way he plays the game. I’ve always admired him. When he used to come and practise with Joe Perry I thought he could have a wonderful career.
"He works so hard and has been a brilliant World Champion.
"He has shown how you should conduct yourself in the following season after winning the World Championship."
Robertson into another semi
Neil Robertson is in a very rich vein of form having reached the semis after last week's superb World Grand Prix win.
He said: "There wasn’t a big flurry of breaks in the match, but Mark is someone who is hard to get chances out of. He isn’t going to play loose shots and leave you in the balls, you really need to earn it.
"Mark and I have played each other an awful lot over the years. I think I’ve faced him more than any other player. We’ve had a lot of big matches against each other in our careers."
Today's schedule
Another two massive matches coming up today as we now head into the latter stages.
This afternoon with got a resurgent John Higgins up against Xiao Guodong in a quarter-final, the winner faces trump in the semi.
Then this evening is the other semi-final between in-form Neil Robertson and reigning world champion Kyren Wilson.
- QF – Xiao Guodong vs John Higgins - 1pm
- SF – Neil Robertson vs Kyren Wilson - 7pm
Good morning!
Hello everyone we're back for another day of big action in Telford.
Last night we saw Judd Trump at his imperious best - whitewashing Shaun Murphy by a combined score of 525-40!
Even The Magician had to sit back and admire Trump's brilliance, admitting: "It was just a real pleasure to watch Judd in full flow."
Credit: Getty Previous winners
Here's a little look at the previous winners of the tournament...
- 2024 - Mark Allen
- 2023 - Shaun Murphy
- 2022 - Neil Robertson
- 2021 - John Higgins
- 2020 - Judd Trump
- 2019 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
- 2018 - Ronnie O'Sullivan
- 2017 - Judd Trump
- 2016 - Mark Allen
- 2015 - Joe Perry
- 2014 - Barry Hawkins
- 2013 - Ding Junhui
- 2012 - Stephen Lee
- 2011 - Shaun Murphy
Today's matches
We really are closing into the final stages of this competition now, with just one quarter-final left to play before we begin the last four.
Here's what to look forward to today...
- QF - Xiao Guodong vs John Higgins @ 1pm
- SF - Neil Robertson vs Kyren Wilson @ 7pm
Prize money
Here's a look at what's on offer to the players as we head into the final stages of the competition...
- Winner: £150,000
- Runner-up: £70,000
- Semi-finals: £35,000
- Quarter-finals: £20,000
- Last 16: £15,000
- High break: £10,000
- Total: £500,000
More from Trump
Judd Trump has looked ahead to his semi-final, in which he will face the winner of Xiao Guodong vs John Higgins.
He said: "I've been consistent all season and I've been able to put myself in a good position in most tournaments I've played in.
"I feel like it's been a very successful season and It's nice to know that form is still there coming into the final home straight.
"I know my game is good enough to win any tournament, but it's nice to be able to back it up for a whole season because it's so difficult.
"Whoever comes through that one [Guodong vs Higgins], it's two form players of the season and a nice semi-final to look forward to".
Adding: "[I'll practice tomorrow for] an hour maybe, to keep ticking over. I'm someone who plays every day, so I'll make sure I come in for a bit, but I won't overwork myself".
Murphy's reaction
Shaun Murphy has spoken out after his defeat too, holding his hands up to say he had no chance against a Judd Trump in that kind of form.
He told ITV: "I don't think I did a great deal wrong in that match at all. I don't remember making six frame-losing mistakes. It was just a real pleasure to watch Judd in full flow."
Adding: "He's incredible to watch, every shot I left him he potted. There's a certain inevitability about his break building, he is one scorers.
"I've done it to players on my day and it's not something only he can do, but he was close to flawless tonight. I'm not sure how you beat somebody when they play like that."
Credit: Getty Trump reacts
Judd Trump had nothing but praise for Shaun Murphy after sweeping him aside in tonight's quarter final
Shaun has been a different animal this season, so I think when you beat him you take a bit more credit than maybe I used to. He's an amazing player, and to beat anyone at this level 6-0 is incredibly hard.
Judd TrumpHow it played out
Here's a look at the stats behind that sensational performance from Judd Trump.
TRUMP WINS 6-0
WOW. Utter dominance. Judd Trump has swept Shaun Murphy aside in a 6-0 whitewash.
The world number one has booked his spot in the semi-finals in Telford thanks to a 78-17 win in the sixth frame.
Shaun Murphy can have no complaints, he hardly had a chance to show what he could do because of Trump's performance on the baize.
In total the score was 525-40 in Trump's favour - WOW.
On this form, you wouldn't be betting against Trump to win the whole thing - perfect timing too with the World Championship around the corner.
Credit: Getty Latest score: Trump 5-0 Murphy
One frame away for Judd Trump now as a 114-0 thrashing puts him 5-0 up.
Trump has played this match as if he didn't even know Shaun Murphy was there.
Could it be a whitewash?
Back underway!
The players are back out for the second session after a short interval.
What can Shaun Murphy do to pull himself back into this match?
Latest score: Trump 4-0 Murphy
Running away with it.
Judd Trump takes a comfortable lead into the interval after a fourth consecutive frame victory with no reply.
For Murphy, he'll be hoping he can pull off some kind of miracle after the interval to put himself back in this contest.
But he now knows that he needs to effectively win 6-1 at the very least in the next session - a mountain to climb.
Credit: Rex Latest score: Trump 3-0 Murphy
There's no stopping Judd Trump when he's playing like this... I suppose that's why he's world number one.
A break of 101 sees him reel off another frame victory and he is pulling out of sight now.
Trump now has 89 CENTURIES this season... simply sensational.
He has now registered 250 points without reply in this match.
Lastest score: Trump 2-0 Murphy
That's more like it from Trump, a dominant 77-0 victory put him two frames up and piles the pressure on Murphy.
Trump is trying for his 100th century break of the season, and currently sits 12 shy of the £100,000 bonus that would come with it.
If he keeps playing like that then it'll certainly come soon.
Lastest score: Trump 1-0 Murphy
Judd Trump has taken the lead in Telford in a pretty low quality first frame.
Despite neither player managing to look anywhere near their best, Trump manages a 84-12 victory in a scrappy opener.
Regardless, Trump is in the lead. A reminder that it's first to six to book a place in the semi-finals.
We're underway
Here we go! It's Judd Trump vs Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship.
The players are at the table and the action is underway!
Trump wants Selby's determination
Judd Trump has claimed that he would take Mark Selby's determination if he could snatch away any attribute from one of his competitors.
When asked by ITV Snooker what skill set he would steal from another pro, he said: "I think Mark Selby's determination.
"Just to really, even when he snookers or whatever is happening, just to stay calm and give it your absolute all for every single shot".
Trump will be in action against Shaun Murphy in just over half an hour.
Credit: Rex First semi-final confirmed
Neil Robertson's earlier win over Mark Selby means we now know what the first semi-final will be in the Players Championship.
Robertson will face Kyren Wilson in the final four, after Wilson got the better of Mark Williams 6-3 yesterday.
We'll know out other two semi-finalists once Judd Trump vs Shaun Murphy and Xiao Guodong vs John Higgins have been played out.