Judd Trump ended the run of Jackson Page with a 6-2 victory at the semi-final stage of the Huading Nylon World Open in China, moving within one win of a fifth ranking title this season.
World number two Trump will face Neil Robertson or Ding Junhui in the final in Yushan on Sunday, with first to ten frames taking the £170,000 top prize.
If Bristol’s Trump comes out on top, it will be the third time within five years that he has won five (or more) ranking titles in a single campaign, having landed a record six in 2019/20 and five the following season.
The only other players to achieve that feat are Stephen Hendry (five in 1990/91), Ding Junhui (five in 2013/14), Mark Selby (five in 2016/17) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (five in 2017/18).
Trump, who won this event the last time it was staged in 2019, will be playing in the 44th ranking event final of his career and seventh of the season. Victory would give the 34-year-old a 28th career ranking title, moving him level with Steve Davis on the all-time list, behind only O’Sullivan, Hendry and John Higgins.
Welshman Page, who knocked out the likes of John Higgins and Mark Selby, enjoyed the best week of his career so far having never previously been beyond the last 16 of a ranking event. But the 22-year-old was no match for Trump in the second half of today's encounter. His hopes of qualifying for next month’s Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship are also over, though Page banks a career-high pay day of £32,500.
Trump opened with a break of 122, his sixth century of the week. The next two frames were shared, then Page made a 72 to level at 2-2. After the interval, Page had chances in every frame, but was not able to capitalise, and Trump took four in a row with a top run of 67.
"It was a scrappy game, neither of us played well, we both missed a lot of balls," admitted Trump. "It was Jackson's first semi-final and he didn't really settle, my experience probably made the difference. I haven't played that well this week, I have scraped my way through with sheer determination. But that has been the case at other tournaments I have won this season. Hopefully things click in the final. It has been an incredible season.
"This has been a fantastic tournament, it's nice to be back here after five years. Coming to Yushan has brought back good memories for me and it's great to have the chance to win it again."
Page's chances were hampered before the match even started as he cut his finger while taking his cue out of its case. "The buckle of the case ripped the skin on my finger," he said. "I was praying for it not to bleed, but then it started bleeding. I tried putting a plaster on, but then I couldn't feel the cue so I had to take it off. It's not an ideal start in your first semi-final."
