Mark Selby stunned Kyren Wilson with a sterling comeback to book his place in the semi-finals of the Champion of Champions, overturning a 4-0 deficit to prevail 6-5 in Milton Keynes.
In a gruelling match that lasted well in excess of five hours, Wilson faltered badly as the winning line approached having led 4-0 and then 5-3 after an outrageous fluked red when snookered and in any amount of trouble in frame eight had seemingly cut short Selby's brave fightback.
Nevertheless, Selby would not be bowed and won the next two frames to force a decider, one this season's English Open hero dominated thanks to a nerveless, match-winning run of 74.
Wilson looked in total control when racing into a 3-0 lead courtesy of breaks 53 and 64 and when he got the better of a protracted fourth frame, he would have been forgiven for thinking ahead to a semi-final meeting with Neil Robertson.
As it is, it will be Selby who will face the Australian on Friday after returning from the mid-session interval with breaks of 74, 58 and 54 to surge back into the contest as Wilson visibly weakened as the pressure mounted.
In contrast, Selby grew stronger as the night wore on and he closed out the match in typically ruthless style to seal his place in the last four of this event for the first time since 2013.
Earlier in the day, Selby overcame another stern examination as he held off Luca Brecel 4-2 while Wilson knocked in a high break of 130 in his 4-1 defeat of Stephen Maguire.
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