LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Judd Trump became the second-youngest player to reach snooker's world championship final when the 21-year-old Briton ended the hopes of China's Ding Junhui 17-15 at Sheffield's Crucible theatre on Saturday.The players began Saturday's action locked at 12-12 and both produced fantastic snooker as the match swayed in both directions.
Trump raced to a 14-13 lead only for 24-year-old Masters champion Ding, who had never previously gone beyond the second round in Sheffield, to claw back to lead 15-14 on the back of magnificent 138 and 119 breaks.
Trump, who knocked out defending champion Neil Robertson in the first round, kept calm though and reeled off three frames in a row, concluding with a break of 109, to set up a final meeting with former champion John Higgins.
Seven-times champion Stephen Hendry is the only player younger than Trump to have reached the final having done so in 1990 when he was 21 years four months to Trump's 21 and five months.
Trump came into the tournament on a high having won the China Open and has maintained that form despite the pressure of the world championship.
"I'm speechless and I need to go away and think about it before it sinks in," he told the BBC.
"The more my run goes on, my self-belief keeps going up.
"Just to get to the tournament was an achievement but after winning in China, I came here with an attitude of enjoying it and winning it."
Ding, who had been hoping to become the first Asian player to make a world championship final, was full of praise for his opponent after both players were given a standing ovation.
"I like to watch him play, he's learning quickly, with more experience," he said.
"I tried to put the white ball on the cushion but he just kept coming back. If he keeps potting balls like that then he can win it."
Trump raced to a 14-13 lead only for 24-year-old Masters champion Ding, who had never previously gone beyond the second round in Sheffield, to claw back to lead 15-14 on the back of magnificent 138 and 119 breaks.
Trump, who knocked out defending champion Neil Robertson in the first round, kept calm though and reeled off three frames in a row, concluding with a break of 109, to set up a final meeting with former champion John Higgins.
Seven-times champion Stephen Hendry is the only player younger than Trump to have reached the final having done so in 1990 when he was 21 years four months to Trump's 21 and five months.
Trump came into the tournament on a high having won the China Open and has maintained that form despite the pressure of the world championship.
"I'm speechless and I need to go away and think about it before it sinks in," he told the BBC.
"The more my run goes on, my self-belief keeps going up.
"Just to get to the tournament was an achievement but after winning in China, I came here with an attitude of enjoying it and winning it."
Ding, who had been hoping to become the first Asian player to make a world championship final, was full of praise for his opponent after both players were given a standing ovation.
"I like to watch him play, he's learning quickly, with more experience," he said.
"I tried to put the white ball on the cushion but he just kept coming back. If he keeps potting balls like that then he can win it."
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