Million pound man Judd Trump took six frames on the bounce to see off rival Kyren Wilson 6-2 and reach his fourth Victorian Plumbing UK Championship final in York.
Incredibly, this afternoon's win sees world number one Trump become the first ever player to earn over £1,000,000 in a single season before Christmas. The Ace in the Pack was victorious in the most lucrative frame in snooker history earlier in the campaign, when he beat Mark Williams 10-9 in a decider to win the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and scoop £500,000.
Trump is seeking a second UK Championship crown, 13 years after his first, in tomorrow's best of 19 final against either Mark Allen or Barry Hawkins. He lifted the famous trophy in 2011, when he scored a thrilling 10-8 win over Mark Allen in the title match. Trump appeared in two further finals in 2014 and 2020, losing 10-9 to Ronnie O'Sullivan and Neil Robertson respectively.
Today's victory for Trump sees him enact revenge over World Champion Wilson, who has prevailed in their two previous meetings this season. Wilson claimed his first tournament wins as Crucible king with victories over Trump, beating him 10-8 in the Xi'an Grand Prix final and 9-3 in the Northern Ireland Open title match.
This afternoon saw 32-year-old Wilson seize the initiative in the early stages. He made a break of 64 on his way to moving 2-0 ahead. However, little did he know at the time that would be the last frame win he registered in the tie.
Trump gained a foothold in the match by winning the sixth, before a run of exactly 100 restored parity at 2-2 heading in for the interval.
When play resumed, Trump won two tight frames, before firing home breaks of 65 in the seventh and 100 in the eighth to get over the line and make the final.
"It was a tricky game. We both have a lot of respect for each other. At the start we were just trying to figure each other out. I got the upper hand and after the interval I scored a little bit heavier. My long potting was good. It wasn't an absolute classic, but it is just about getting over the line when you aren't at your best," said 2019 World Champion Trump.
"It definitely means a lot more to me than when I was younger. You know it's not going to last forever. Being ranked number one in the world and doing what I'm doing, you aren't going to be in that form forever. I've put in the work over the last five or six years and got the rewards. It gets harder as you get older. I want to make the most of it while I can.
"Even though I've reached the final a couple of times and lost 10-9 both times, you kind of get forgotten about. I've been so close to winning more titles here. Those little details shape your career. I could be on six or seven Triple Crowns now but I've come up short in a couple of finals. It is nice to have a chance to rectify that tomorrow.
"If you looked ten years ago you'd never have dreamed of winning a million pounds in a season. Taking that up a notch and winning it before Christmas is an amazing achievement. It is nice getting the rewards for being consistent. You see further down the rankings, to get into these invitational events you need to win a lot of money. People have been asking and moaning over the last ten years that the rewards aren't there. If you have a good run in an event now there is a lot of money up for grabs."