Judd Trump reached the semi-finals of the UK Championship after surviving Kyren Wilson’s stirring fightback to win 6-4 in Milton Keynes.
World number one Trump, who won the tournament in 2011, was made to dig deep by Wilson who fought back from 3-0 down to level the match at 3-3 and then 4-4.
Trump will play Lu Ning in the last four on Saturday after the Chinese world number 40 beat Joe Perry 6-4.
“It was tough,” said Trump, who made two century breaks and four more over 50. “Especially at 4-4. He was in the balls, he was looking like he had a good chance to go 5-4 up really.
“So I was delighted he missed the blue and left me that opportunity and I knew it was my time.
“If I missed there I was probably going to lose the match because my confidence was kind of knocked by what happened.”
Imperious Robertson routs Selby
Neil Robertson produced a flawless display to beat Mark Selby 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the UK Championship in Milton Keynes.
The pair have played out a couple of absorbing matches already this season, with Robertson edging both in final frame deciding frames, but he was much the best on this occasion, producing an imperious performance that featured two century breaks.
For Selby's part, he will be left to rue a missed opportunity in frame six when he looked sure to level at 3-3 having clawed his way back into the contest from 3-0 down. When Selby misjudged a cannon that would have left him with the frame at his mercy, Robertson responded with another outstanding long pot that was the hallmark of his afternoon's work, before making light work of a frame-winning clearance that ultimately paved the way to victory.
Robertson burst out of the traps with an astonishing early bombardment that began with a typically pinpoint run of 75 and was followed by breaks of 122 and 63. A missed black at the end of that third frame finally ended the Australian's 100 per cent pot percentage for the match but it wasn't enough to stop him tightening his early gip on the contest.
Selby needed two visits to win the fourth frame but he would have been a little happier with his position when reducing his arrears to 3-2 thanks to breaks of 67 and 59 in frame five.
However, when he spurned a big opportunity to finally get neck and neck with Robertson in the sixth frame, the 2013 and 2015 winner needed no second invitation to book his place in the last four.
A cool clearance of 66 moved Robertson 4-2 in front and breaks of 91 and 130 saw him finish in the match in style, ruthlessly denying Selby the chance to mount the comeback he had promised to stage minutes earlier.
Robertson will face Zhou Yuelong in the semi-finals after the Chinese overcame Jack Lisowski 6-4.
Neither player were at their best in a scrappy affair but having led 5-2, Yuelong held his nerve to seal victory after Lisowski won two frames on the bounce and threatened to take the match to a deciding frame.
