Dott's delight

It was a day to remember for Graeme Dott as he enjoyed his finest Masters moment.

The hard working Scot hammered pre-tournament favourite Judd Trump 6-1 and in the process progressed to his first ever semi-final at the event.

Picture by Monqiue Limbos

I've seen Dott play better than this but his performance was opportunist.

World number two Trump wasn't at the races at all. He missed as many balls as I've seen him miss in one match for a while, and his shot selection was too often questionable.

Dott has always had a knack for seizing his opportunity. He was 3-1 up at the break without hitting top gear but he improved after the interval and finished the match with an authoritative century.

In moments like this I wish more time would be spent commending Dott than dissecting the unlikely defeat of the big gun.

Whenever Graeme does well, he is billed as the unlikely hero. 

But Dott has won plenty of big matches in his career. He gives every shot 100 per cent and can be a feisty little match player. These qualities were on show again today.

He will be the outsider going into the last four. He is used to this by now, but we know he can deliver. He is two matches away from another big victory to add alongside his 2006 World Championship triumph.

Judd will have to wait another year to have a crack at the title.

That won't prevent his performance continuing to be the big talking point way into tomorrow. I prefer not to dwell on it too much. This was a bad day at the office for one of the sport's brightest stars, but it's all part and parcel of the development of a young champion.

It's in fact a compliment that his defeat has attracted so much conversation. It proves he is a massive scalp and a man to be beaten at the big events.

Picture by Monique Limbos

After two disappointing outings at the recent BBC events, Judd is clearly suffering from a sticky patch. This is inevitable at points during a season so long. He needs to put this defeat behind him and come back stronger for the next tournament.

After all, he has both time and talent on his side.

Dott wasn't the only big winner at the Alexandra Palace. World number one Mark Selby also kept up his title bid with a 6-1 win over Mark Williams.

The Jester gave a perfect rendition of how to win ugly. He was far from his best but cashed in on his fellow two-time Masters champion who struggled for rhythm throughout the match.

Selby has always been good at digging in and getting results even when he's not at his best. This is what makes him such a formidable  force.

I still make him the man to beat, but he will need to improve and make betterof his openings.