Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

I fancied Mark Selby before the tournament started. I think he is playing very, very well.

Both the players are out and play is under way. Strap in for a great night of snooker.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Defending champion Judd Trump reached his fifth UK Championship final with a comfortable 6-3 victory over Neil Robertson in York.

The result means Trump, who has won the title twice, is now just one match away from maintaining his proud record of winning at least one trophy every year since 2013.

Just like their epic final in 2020, which was won 10-9 by Australia's Robertson, there was little to choose between the players in a see-saw opening.

Trump knocked in two half-centuries, while Robertson compiled a wonderful break of 114, then took a remarkable and protracted fifth frame on the black to lead 3-2.

However, from that point the world number one took control as Robertson - who was playfully booed by fans as he walked out for mimicking cricket shots in reference to England's toils in the Ashes - made a series of uncharacteristic errors.

Trump capitalised with three half-centuries and then reeled off his fourth consecutive frame with a 53 to book his place in Sunday's showpiece match against either Mark Selby or Shaun Murphy (13:00 GMT).

Read more, external

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

When you can score and you have a cue action like Shaun Murphy, he can be a match for anyone.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Long potting will be the key and Shaun Murphy is one of the players who can unnerve Mark Selby.

The outcome is not clear cut.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at York Barbican

Image source, BBC Sport

It is Saturday night in York and the UK Championship semi-final between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy is very much the hottest ticket in town.

While there is a fair bit of rain around that has not dampened the atmosphere at the Barbican at all.

There will not be a spare seat in the house, with people still arriving around 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for this match..

Image source, Getty Images

Time for the second UK Championship semi-final of Saturday as Shaun Murphy takes on Mark Selby.

The duo have been competing against each other since their teens in a rivalry that goes back decades.

Murphy is a 13-time ranking event winner, former world champion and the reigning Masters champion.

Selby has won 24 ranking titles, with four of those arriving at the Crucible.

'The Jester from Leicester' also has the edge on UK crowns with two to Murphy's one but neither have been at this stage for some time and this could be a close match to call.

Their two meetings this season, Selby thrashed Murphy 6-0 at the Shanghai Masters, with Murphy gaining his revenge at the British Open with a 6-1 victory.

Judd Trump, speaking to BBC Sport after defeating Neil Robertson: “It was a massive frame to go 3-2 [down] but I still felt positive and like I had a good chance.

“It is another final. It is a good end to this calendar year after quite a poor mid-season so I am happy to have another shot at it.”

Judd Trump has done it. He is into a second consecutive UK Championship final and his fifth overall with a break of 53 sealing his win.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Judd Trump has raised the intensity when it's been needed.

Three frames on the spin from Judd Trump. Neil Robertson will be fuming with himself after getting a snooker and then missing a red to the middle.

He still needed another snooker but will be annoyed by how that concluded.

Judd Trump edges ahead in a see-saw encounter. Could this end up going to a decider? It would be hard to back against at the moment.

In contrast to the previous frame, Judd Trump knocks in a break of 72 to wrap it up in just eight minutes.

Absolute carnage. What a frame. Neil Robertson is deemed to have hit the pink before the red getting out of a snooker, with the foul overturned after a spot of video assistance.

Then there is an almost comical battle over a red nestled on top of the blue which itself is hovering over the top left corner pocket.

And in the end Neil Robertson, who snookered himself after potting the yellow wins, a 48-minute frame with a cross double on the black.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

I liked the old UK Championship with two-day finals, it felt like a proper major.

I love to watch this snooker. It is who is going to blink first? It is like a basketball game.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Isn't it great to see Neil Robertson to play with a bit of rhythm. Different player completely. He was getting painful to watch at one stage but now he is a joy.

The way this is whizzing on a best-of-11 doesn't seem much of a test. Wouldn't it be nice in some way in semi-finals were two days and best-of-17 matches.

Neil Robertson with the first century break of the match.

The standard so far has been everything you would expect from a semi-final of a Triple Crown event.

It's a shame the players are going off for the mid-session interval.