Judd Trump booked his place in the Unibet British Open semi-finals with an impressive 5-1 victory over world number one Zhao Xintong at the Centaur in Cheltenham on Friday night.

The former world champion made a fast start, producing breaks of 101 and 57 to establish a 2-0 advantage. Zhao responded with a century of his own, making a break of 100 to pull a frame back at 2-1.

However, that was as good as it got for the world number one. Trump took control of the match once again, compiling breaks of 51, 54 and 72 as he won the next three frames to move within one of victory at 4-1.

Zhao had an opportunity to put pressure on Trump in the sixth frame, but his challenge came to an end when he missed a pink to the centre pocket after making a break of 18. Trump then stepped in and cleared the table with a 49 break to seal a convincing 5-1 win.

The victory means Trump will not be able to reclaim the world number one ranking at this event, but it does mark his first appearance in the British Open semi-finals. The result also represents the 76th ranking semi-final of his career.

Zhao took over at the top of the rankings last month, ending Trump’s two-year reign as world number one. The change in rankings added extra intrigue to Friday night’s clash, with Trump admitting afterwards that the rivalry gave him additional motivation.

“It was a big game, I have not been that up for a game for a while,” Trump said.

“You always have something to prove when someone takes the limelight and you want to prove to everyone you’ve still got it. I wouldn’t say it was a grudge game, but there was a bit more on the line than normal.”

Trump also explained how the emergence of a strong rival can help reignite his motivation.

“Sometimes I need that kind of rivalry, or someone there just to really get me back on the practice table and get that determination back,” he added.

“When you get older and you’ve been around so long, you can be a bit flat. These are the kind of games you can really get up for.”

The Judd Trump vs Zhao Xintong clash also provided the Englishman with the chance to embrace the role of underdog.

“I always enjoy being the underdog and I could feel that inside today. It’s always nice to beat the player that’s number one,” Trump said.

“The atmosphere tonight was much better, there was a lot more cheering and support out there.”

Trump will now face Jak Jones in the British Open semi-final on Saturday evening. The match is scheduled to begin at 7pm and will be played over the best of 11 frames.

A victory would move Trump closer to a 32nd ranking title and a second trophy of the season. He began the campaign strongly by winning the Shanghai Masters last month, an invitational event featuring some of the sport’s biggest names.