Slessor Stuns Trump in Decider to Reach Semis at BetVictor English Open

Elliot Slessor maintained his perfect record in deciders this season by clinching a 4-3 victory over Judd Trump on Day Eight of the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood. This marks the sixth time Slessor has triumphed in a final frame this campaign.

The world number 23, who recently reached the semi-finals of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters with narrow wins over John Higgins, Stuart Bingham, and Mark Williams, has now won 13 of his last 18 deciding frames across two seasons.

After taking a 2-0 lead and nearly going 3-0 up, Slessor saw Trump fight back with a superb 69 clearance in the third frame. Trump then claimed two consecutive frames to move within one of victory at 3-2. However, Slessor responded strongly with breaks of 79 and 64 to seal the match.

In the semi-finals, Slessor will meet Mark Allen, who came from 3-0 down to defeat China’s Ding Junhui 4-3. Allen produced breaks of 52 twice during his comeback win.

After the match, Slessor shared an emotional motivation behind his quest for a first ranking title: “My Grandad comes everywhere with me. He’s 74 and has driven me since I was nine. A trophy would mean everything—the money is nothing compared to that.”

Allen, reflecting on his return to form, said: “This game has a way of biting you. The serial winners make it look easy, but it’s not. I’m a perfectionist and won’t stop trying to improve.”

In other matches, Aaron Hill continued his impressive form with a 4-1 win over Jack Lisowski and will face Jak Jones, who edged Ricky Walden 4-3. Jackson Page also advanced with a 4-3 victory over Shaun Murphy and will play Mark Selby. Luca Brecel defeated Robbie Williams 4-3 and is set to meet Zhou Yuelong, who beat Barry Hawkins 4-2.