Judd Trump holds a 5-3 advantage over Si Jiahui after the opening session of the BetVictor German Masters final in Berlin.
Trump is competing in his fourth German Masters final and is seeking to win the event for a third time. The Ace in the Pack was also victorious in 2020 and 2021.
He’s already enjoyed a hugely successful week, having secured the £150,000 BetVictor Series bonus with an event to spare. The bumper payout is awarded to the player who accumulates the most prize money across the eight qualifying events.
Si has enjoyed a landmark tournament thus far, making the first ranking event final of his career. The Chinese 21-year-old showcased his talent at the Crucible last year, where he made the World Championship semi-finals. His 6-3 win over Kyren Wilson in the last four yesterday has seen Si go a step further here at the Tempodrom.
A tense opening frame this afternoon went the way of 26-time ranking event winner Trump, but a break of 73 from Si in the second gave him a foothold in the tie and parity at 1-1. Trump regained the lead, before a run of 60 in the fourth from Si made it 2-2 at the mid-session.
When play got back underway, Trump moved up a gear to take three on the bounce with breaks of 51, 82 and 52 to establish a 5-2 lead. However, it was Si who took the last to end just two frames behind.
They return at 8pm (CET) to play the best of 19 encounter to a conclusion. The winner takes home the Brandon Parker Trophy and £80,000.