Judd Trump could not hide his devastation after losing his Scottish Open quarter-final on a dramatic re-spotted black.
The world no.3 was agonisingly beaten 5-4 by fellow attacking star Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in an epic Edinburgh encounter on Friday afternoon. Trump's hunt for his first title of the season goes on after he was left to rue a series of missed chances against his extremely talented Thai opponent.
Trump made two centuries and four further breaks of over 50 in the best-of-nine clash as he closed in on the last four. But Thepchaiya, nicknamed F1 for his rapid speed around the table, responded superbly with a fine century to force a decider.
He then missed match ball in a tense final frame, coming nowhere potting the final black with a difficult rest shot. Trump pounced to force the re-spot, and kept things tight in a tense Meadowbank Sports Centre before getting his shot at the win.
But Trump gifted Thepchaiya the match as he missed and left an easy black over the pocket. And the 2019 world champion cut a dejected figure in a short post-match interview.
When asked if he could take any consolation from his good play, a disconsolate Trump bluntly replied: "No." On his final missed black, he added: "It was a good chance, I had so many chances there. Yeah, shocking."
Thepchaiya, meanwhile, was overjoyed after reaching his first ranking semi-finals in three years. He will meet Kyren Wilson or Gary Wilson in the last four on Saturday.
"On the last black, I’m still excited!" Thepchaiya told Eurosport. "I just believed one thing, everything happens for the first time. I’d never beat Judd before for many times. I just believed in myself. I can do it. Everything happens for a first time and I did it! I’m so happy."
"I lost to him 10-9 at the Crucible," he added, referring to their last 32 World Championship clash three years ago. "I’ve never forgotten that match, it made him win the trophy as well. I’m so happy to beat him today."
