• World Championship

Selby topples O'Sullivan in thriller

Mark Selby showed great nerve to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan © Getty Images

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Mark Selby produced a superb fightback in the final session to claim a 13-11 win over Ronnie O'Sullivan in their World Championship quarter-final.

World No. 1 O'Sullivan came into the evening session with a 9-7 advantage but could not shake off Selby who reeled off four frames on the spin to move into the semi-finals.

Selby made an excellent start to the evening session, but a scrappy 19th went the way of O'Sullivan. Selby is renowned for his battling skills as much as his potting abilities and took the 19th. Selby knocked in a stunning long red and looked well set to level the match, but missed a black off its spot and O'Sullivan stepped in with a 75 to move ahead 11-9 at the interval.

Selby had to make a signal of intent after the hiatus and did just that with a superb century and he levelled the match in the 22nd despite both players missing chances.

The pressure was intense and Selby needed a couple of bites at the cherry to move to within one frame of victory.

O'Sullivan knocked in a fabulous long red in the 24th and racked up 42 points in a couple of visits, but he kept running out of position and Selby edged ahead before breaking down. A safety battle ensued which went the way of Selby and a roar of emotion followed after a brown that clinched the match and a meeting with Graeme Dott.

Steve Davis failed to pull off the great escape, as his fine run in the World Championship came to an end at the quarter-final stage with a 13-5 defeat to Neil Robertson.

The damage was done in the first session, which Davis lost 7-1, and after starting the third session needing just one frame for victory, Robertson took the second of the afternoon to seal his place in the semi-finals for the second year in succession.

With Davis fully aware that he was one frame from defeat, the six-time champion came out with a positive attitude and an attacking safety fashioned a chance. He failed to take it, but Robertson missed an opening with the rest and Davis compiled a 59 to take the opening frame of the session.

Davis had a decent chance in the second frame of the session but he broke down at 27 and after a safety battle, Robertson stepped in with a superb 107 to secure victory.

Ali Carter completed the semi-final line-up with a 13-12 win over Shaun Murphy. Carter trailed 8-4 at one stage, but held his nerve in a tense final frame in which both players had chances to win on the colours to secure victory and a meeting with Robertson.

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