Ronnie O’Sullivan feels Judd Trump is the favourite to win the Masters ahead of the semi-finals, although warned the Ace that ‘there are three players that match up well with him.’
Trump takes on Barry Hawkins on Saturday evening, while Neil Robertson and Mark Williams meet in the afternoon session with places in the final on the line.
The favourites to come through those contests are Robertson and Trump, with the Rocket tipping Judd to go on and lift the title for a second time, but he has warned him that it will be far from easy.
‘If I had to have my life on it or a big wager on it, I’d probably go for Trump,’ O’Sullivan said on Eurosport.
‘He’s been the best player over the last three years, the most consistent, but there are three players that match up well with him, they like to play him.
‘He’s not going to have this air of them just rolling over, he’s going to have to win this tournament.
‘But if he gets on one, starts playing well and strong then he’s going to be a hard man to stop.
‘But there’s four fantastic players in this tournament that fancy the job.’
Hawkins is the only one of the four men not to win the Masters before and Trump’s triumph in 2019 is the most recent of any of the semi-finalists.
Williams lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2003, with Robertson winning his only Masters title in 2012, twice losing in the final since.
The bookmakers agreed with the Rocket ahead of the semis, with Trump the overwhelming favourite to beat Hawkins and go on to win the tournament.
However, Hawkins has a decent record against Trump, winning 11 of their 25 matches in all competitions and their most recent one, knocking the Ace out of the 2021 Tour Championship.
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