Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump will do battle in Saturday’s Shanghai Masters final.

Ronnie O’Sullivan. Picture by Monique Limbos

O’Sullivan recorded his third win over John Higgins in almost as many weeks after he beat the Scot 6-2 and Trump defeated close friend Jack Lisowski 6-3.

Victory for O’Sullivan on Saturday will see him move second place in his own right in the all-time number of ranking event titles list as he would the close the gap on leader Stephen Hendry with 30 titles. Seven-times world champion Hendry leads the list with 36 titles.

The winner of the best-of-19 frames final will lift the trophy and collect a cheque for £150,000. Trump’s victory in the semi-final ensured he would move up to number two spot in the world rankings.

And it will be a case of third time lucky for Trump who has lost the Shanghai Masters final twice before in his career – both agonisingly 10-9 to Higgins in 2012 and Kyren Wilson in 2015.

Trump who has impressed throughout the whole week winning 22 frames on the bounce, dominated the early proceedings against Liswoski was playing i his first major ranking semi-final.

Judd Trump. Picture courtesy of Monique Limbos

With Trump leading 2-0, Lisowski won the third frame before he levelled the scores after winning the fourth frame.

Trump regained the lead with a run of 105, his fourth century of the tournament, then Lisowski’s 55 made it 3-3. But Trump then took the next three frames to win the match.

Despite losing the opening frame O’Sullivan, who beat Higgins in the English Open last month and in last week’s Champion of Champions, was dominant throughout the contest and on three straight frames to win 6-2.