Snooker results: Judd Trump in dramatic comeback against Stephen Maguire to reach Players Championship final

The reigning world champion, after taking a 3-0 lead which included breaks of 68 and 132, trailed 5-3 and was on the brink of an exit as Maguire turned it around with breaks of 56, 73, 67 and 70.

Trump then won three frames in a row and finished with a flourish - a break of 70 after being in a 49-point deficit - to set up a meeting with either Shaun Murphy or Yan Bingtao on Sunday.

It will be Trump's second ranking final of the season after he lost the UK Championship Ding Junhui in December.

Murphy set for Bingtao rematch

Shaun Murphy and Yan Bingtao will renew rivalries after the former beat Mark Allen 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship.

A fortnight ago, Murphy produced a brilliant century to beat Bingtao in the final frame of their Welsh Open semi-final, and the pair will go at it again in Southport on Saturday after keeping up their respective runs of form.

But while the Chinese youngster needed the final black of the final frame to see off Joe Perry on Thursday, Murphy produced a commanding performance against Allen, quickly opening up a two-frame lead and never looking back.

After edging the first two frames before losing the third, a break of 93 put Murphy 3-1 in front at the mid-session interval, and while Allen closed the gap, he was never able to get on terms as the Magician restored his cushion.

A tight seventh frame was probably Allen's final chance to get back into the match but having been handed an opening, he failed to capitalise and after a break of 55 that left Murphy needing just one more for a place in the semis.

He wasted no time getting it and along with Judd Trump is now one of just two players remaining to have this title on his CV already.