It may have been only the second full ranking event semi-final of his career for Rod Lawler, and a first for 18 years, but the 42-year-old was certainly playing it cool in the build-up to his big moment in front of a packed and wildly enthusiastic 2,500 sell-out crowd at the Tempodrom. The Liverpudlian spent most of Saturday relaxing but clearly aware of the possibility of extreme stage fright against Judd Trump came to the venue with wife Jo just to see the walk-ons of Ding Junhui and Ryan Day. They then promptly left, and 10 minutes before his own entrance, at 7.50pm, Lawler had to ask who had won the first semi-final.