Saudi Arabia Masters as it happened – Williams sets up £500,000 final with Trump after ending Si bid

We will be back at 12pm for the start of the £500,000 best-of-19 frame final match with the winner taking home half a million, and the loser guaranteed £200,000, the same figures for the World Championship. Should be a thrilling conclusion to the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters.

Williams with another excellent break to see out the match on 80. That was an exceptional display. “Its a big win for me. I’m an old man now,” he jokes. “I’m a better all-round player than I was 20 years ago. I’m better now than I’ve ever been. I went down to 47 in the rankings for a couple of seasons, but 10 years later, I’m in the top 10.”

A little pump of the fist by Mark as the red he require disappears. And on the icon goes. The Welshman through to the jackpot match in Riyadh on Saturday. What an occasion that should be.

This has been brilliant from Williams. Keeping his eyes on the prize, and closing in on the final with Judd Trump on Saturday. What a fabulous break.

Brilliant shot by Williams on red. Produces a timely double to continue break, and this is coming down to the crunch now as yellow drops too.

Hit red this time, but can’t get the white safe, and suddenly a fine chance presents itself to Willo at the business end of table. What a chance to build a decent lead in the frame he needs for victory.

So once again, Si misses red coming off two cushions. Again clips pink. Must hit a red this time or he will lose frame. And of course, match.

A rare safety bout early in the ninth frame after both players fail to sink reds. Si misses a red trying to nudge white back to baulk. Clips pink. So the balls will be going back.

Second century of the night is completed by Si, and what a fabulous break this has been. No messing about, and still well in the fight. Total clearance of 136. Class.

Quality response from Si. Showing off the level of class that did for Ronnie O’Sullivan last night. Still life in this semi-final yet.

Looks like being a one-visit hit from Si here. Fine response from the young man. Surely Williams will get chance at some point, but Si keeping him honest. Reds open off black, and every chance of a clinical kill this time.

Si needs to reel off four straight frames to make final, Willo looking for one more. But Si first to the punch in this eighth frame of the evening.

Massive moments in this semi-final as Williams takes out final red, and mops up the colours to steal frame on black. Wow! What a huge pinch that is. Now one away from the final.

Well, that is a huge moment as Si approaches final red in the frame. Stretching for it. And red sticks in jaws. Chance for Williams to pinch a huge frame in the match.

Would you believe that..Williams with the rest on 30, but nowhere near the potting angle and red miles off. Williams shakes his head. Golden chance for Si to close gap to just one frame.

29 break from Si, but nothing to follow as pack doesn’t open off blue. Williams then uncorks a cracking opening red from distance. What can he make here? Chance to move within one frame of final.

Error by Williams as he comes off one cushion with the escape to pack, but leaves red to right centre. And Si responds by carting in red to right centre. First chance to the former World Championship semi-finalist.

A bit of classic Alex Higgins potting on blue to finish off the frame. Round of applause. So on we go. Six frames down of a possible 11.

A superb break of 67 from Si. Pressure was on, but the young Chinese player responded superbly. So 51 the difference, 43 still on. In goes the red he needs to seal the deal. Back to 4-2 behind. A riveting battle in Riyadh. Who is going through to the £500,000 match tomorrow? Still all up for grabs.

But for once, Mark breaks down on 16 using the rest. Chance passes then to Si, who must make the most of this scoring chance. Big visit coming up.

Si not really willing to get involved in a safety joust with Willo, and he goes for broke but ends up sticking another red up for the Welshman to gain traction in his sixth frame. In goes red to left centre. Lovely shot.

77 this time from the Welshman, who is two frames away from taking his place in the final against Judd Trump on Saturday. Very, very impressive in this semi-final so far.

Not too far now away from a 4-1 advantage in this semi-final. Is it men against boys? Has a bit of a feeling of that about it. Williams just so, so composed.

Willo just enjoying his night out so far. Si apparently going for anything that moves, and the world No. 8 happy to pick him off. Almost like a snooker sniper among the balls.

Si playing a very open game, but making several errors in attempted pots on reds, and this is a glorious chance for Williams to again crack on here. Not being punished.

Boys back on the baize, and Si immediately with a poor break-off shot in the fifth frame. But he isn’t punished as Williams slots red but then misses brown to right centre. Wasn’t easy. But it may cost him dearly.

Such a joy to watch when he is in this form Mark Williams. Makes it look so, so easy. 97 as red stays out on the stretch, but in under an hour it is a 3-1 lead from the Welsh icon. Quality stuff.

Not far away from the winning post in this fourth frame. Si missed one red, and has been forced to sit it out. Are we going to see a century here? Every chance now.

Some superb potting from Willo here. Really enjoying the conditions. Floating all these balls in at the moment. Has got the slow walk on too between shots. Which is always a tell-tale sign.

Si goes for a long red, nowhere near the potting angle and another chance presents itself to Willo early in the fourth frame. In goes a corking good blue, and back down for the reds. Already up and running then here ahead of the mid-session interval.

Everybody loving this match so far as Williams conjures up a few more lovely pieces of potting action before Si concedes. One more frame before the mid-sesh. And it is the Welsh potting machine who is looking very well oiled in Riyadh.

But Si loses position among the balls. Tough bridging on the black, and he can’t slot it. Williams up out of his seat with chance to put this frame away for a 2-1 lead.

Willo refusing to take backwards steps as he slams a green into the pocket from distance. Superb recovery pot, and he is doing a spot of cherry picking after Si missed a tough early red. But he breaks down on 28, and Si can launch the counter attack.

And there we have it…a lovely, rapid 60 from Willo and this match is levelled again. What a start to this match.

This has been an excellent response from Willo. Just what you would expect from such a great champion. Only going for half an hour, and it is all square at 1-1.

Willo missing with an early attempt at a mid-range red, but not punished as young Si can’t ram a green into the left centre pocket. What can the Welshman produce here?

Yellow stays out from distance, but a break of 116 from Si is good enough to get over the line. What a start to this second semi-final.

Willo doing little or nothing wrong, but looks like he is going to lose this first frame right off the bat.

Si Jiahui just easing through these balls early on with some relish. Right up to the speed of the table. Reds are all splashed open. He really got through that shot. And this is a golden chance to make a one-hit visit.

A fascinating battle with 27-year difference between the duo. Si first to the punch as he hammers in a mid-range red to get himself moving. First player to six frames will set up that final meeting with Judd on Saturday.

Mark Williams and Si Jiahui set to chase a place in the final of the Saudi Arabia Masters after Judd Trump completed an epic 6-5 five-hour victory over Shaun Murphy to advance in Riyadh this afternoon. Nobody would complain if we have a repeat of that contest this evening. Williams reached this juncture with a 6-0 win over Jimmy Robertson while Si edged out snooker GOAT Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-4 in the last eight. Si also defeated Williams 10-9 in the World Championship first round in April.

The epic match ends after a five-hour struggle. One of the matches of the season surely. Thanks for following the action.

Trump pots the green, then a brilliant brown, but then snookers himself behind the black and pots the cue ball!

Trump with a poor safety but Murphy misses the green, maybe focusing on position, and Trump should win now.

A stupendous couple of pots from Murphy. A black from the narrowest of angles then a red along the cushion. He fails to get the green off the cushion though so it is still game on.

Trump pots a long red but no colour is there for him. So we go one. 38 points in front. 43 on the table.

Murphy misses and Trump has a pretty easy red to middle he misses as well. What a match!

Trump misses, then pots the white and being told to take the shot leaves the red over the pocket – but Murphy snookered.

Trump just misses a shot to nothing but the next time Trump pots a brilliant long red and brown, but then has to play safe.

Murphy misses a red into the green pocket and now Trump is back at the table.

Trump gets to 50 but then just misses a red to middle and he has left Murphy with a chance now.

A beautifully-cued red and similarly good bue has set Trump up for a big break.

A fantastic break of 52 has secured the frame for Murphy…and he is still going. We will have a decider!

An intriguing exchange. Murphy pots a couple of reds and colour, then puts Trump in a snooker which he misses five times and then Murphy pots a fantastic red to the right middle.

Trump leaves Murphy behind the clustered yellow green and brown. Murphy misses them twice before playing safely.

A right-handed shot left a tricky yellow which Trump missed, but Murphy could only pot a red before leaving a safety.

Murphy takes on a tricky long red and leaves the cue ball amongst the reds. Will he live to regret this?

We begin with tense safety play.

The answer was no, but crucially he has forced a tenth frame.

The frame is now his, can he get a deserved century? The first of the match.

A slow, measured break has Murphy on the cusp of taking the frame.

Trump misses a pot and opens the reds up giving Murphy a good chance here.

Murphy a little unhappy with the monitors which were there for the audience but distracting the former world champion. They have now been turned off.

Trump now just needs one frame to reach the final.

Trump gets out of a snooker and then pots yellow and green to secure the frame.

And there is one! Murphy fluked a snooker and Trump missed the yellow. Could we have another re-spotted black?

A very good last red now leaves Murphy needing two snookers to tie.

Murphy misses a tough penultimate red with the rest and he is now left needing snookers. A common theme in the match.

Actually a black off the final red would ddo the job but that looks unlikely given its position on the left cushion.

Double kiss from Trump off a safety and Murphy has a chance now.

Both miss reds, but with the others in a cluster with the pink on the bottom cushion there was little danger.

Trump pots a couple of reds and colours to extend his lead.

Murphy loses position trying to split pink and black and now we have a safety interlude.

Trump misses a pink to the middle and now Murphy is at the table. Luckily for Trump the pink and black are in a very awkward position.

Murphy misses a long red and Trump bags a red with the rest giving him the first chance to build a score.

It looked like there might be a re-rack but a touching ball led to them being broken up and we now have a more regulation safety duel.

Trump goes for an audacious treble which comes out of the jaws and then Murphy slams home a long red and pumps his fist. What an end to the frame!

Re-spotted black! Murphy with a perfect break leaving the black on the left hand cushion.

A great array of potting has Murphy now needing the colours to force a re-spotted black.

The break ends with Trump 67 points up, with 67 left on the table.

Trump ends the malause and has a lot of spread out reds to target.

The seventh frame starts with a string of safeties.

The last red jaws in the pocket means Trump’s break ends at 93, leaving him on 17 centuries for the season and 998 in his career.

Another fine long pot from Trump, deadweight, and he is on the way to another big score.

A fantastic blue set up Murphy to steal the frame. He had a bit of luck, but took full advantage and he is now right back in the match.

Another miss with the rest from Murphy…But he left the blue safe.

Murphy has the snookers and is on the yellow. He needs to clear up but it will be a big frame to win if he does.

Once more Trump leaves Murphy needing a snooker.

Trump can’t convert and now we have a safety battle.

A rare miss with a rest from Murphy and Trump now has his hand on the table.

Has the worm turned? Trump misses an easy red and Murphy now has a chance to build a break.

A break of 65 means it is very much game on at the interval.

Murphy close to securing the frame. He will be delighted to go into the break just two down.

It has the feel of a big frame now. Both players have made pots but not gotten position. Who will come out on top?

Trump loses position but another miss to left middle from Murphy has him back on the table.

The break ends with a missed red to left middle and Trump is already on the board.

Murphy gifted an opportunity after Trump misses – can he make it pay?

Murphy looks rattled, he blasts a long pot which jaws out and then sees other reds go up and down the table but the cue ball is left safe by the bottom-right pocket.

One shot for Murphy and Trump clears down to the blue, with a few exhibition shots on the green and brown thrown in. Domination…with panache!

Trump again ends break with Murphy needing two snookers.

A long red and couple of good follow-up pots have Trump with an early chance in the third.

Re-rack. The pair were left playing tippy-tappy around the pack before ending the frame. You get the feeling Murphy would have liked Trump having his rhythm stifled a little.

Already it looks like danger signs for Murphy.

One good pot later and Trump has now sealed a two-frame lead.

Trump misses a difficult black after building a lead that has left Murphy needing two snookers.

Trump again first at the table and this time he could make a big break straight away.

Murphy unhappy with the path the ball took on the baize as he attempted to lay a snooker with the green but Trump potted to the pink to win the frame.

A break of 50 has him a lead of 44 with 43 remaining on the table. It is not the worst table to be trying to lay snookers on though.

A poor attempt at escaping a snooker sees Murphy hit the blue and then, potting a red, Trump gets the pink off the cushion and is now looking capable of winning the frame.

He runs out of position and then gives Trump a long red but he also fails to get position landing the cue ball touching against the yellow.

Third time is the charm and Murphy bags a red diagonally over the length of the table and now has a chance to build a break.

Murphy well off his touch early on, missing two long reds by a mile. But a messy table with black by the green cushion and pink off its spot means he is unlikely to be punished.

Trump in typical style opens with a long red from baulk, but has no pot on so plays safe.

Mark Williams takes on Si Junhai from 6pm BST, but first we have the third-seed Judd Trump against seventh-ranked Shaun Murphy.

Thanks for joining our coverage of the first semi-final of the Saudi Arabia Masters, where Judd Trump meets Shaun Murphy in a mouthwatering clash.

Judd Trump [3] v Shaun Murphy [7]

Mark Williams [9] v Si Jiahui [20]

Judd Trump [3] 6-3 Neil Robertson [27]

Shaun Murphy [7] 6-2 Xiao Guodong [34]

Jimmy Robertson [49] 0-6 Mark Williams [9]

Ronnie O’Sullivan [5] 4-6 Si Jiahui [20]