Higgins sets up Murphy semi
John Higgins will tackle Shaun Murphy in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters after a 5-3 win over Ali Carter.
Last Updated: 21/09/12 3:45pm
John Higgins will tackle Shaun Murphy in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters after a 5-3 win over Ali Carter.
The Scot has not won in China since 1999 and seemed set to wrap up a routine victory having established a 4-1 lead.
But World Championship finalist Carter punished a missed red to take the sixth frame before reeling off the seventh to move to within one of his opponent.
Higgins produced with the pressure on to edge to a 5-3 victory and a place in the last four, where he was joined by Welsh wizard Mark Williams.
The left-hander from Cwm was taken to a decider after a 131 clearance by his opponent Joe Perry, but pulled out a match-winning break of 75.
Held off
Judd Trump was another player who held off a comeback, defeating Graeme Dott 5-4 to set up a clash against Williams.
Trump led 4-1 but was pegged back as Scotland's 2006 world champion reeled off three frames in a row, levelling the match with a clearance of 108.
However, Trump produced a century break of his own in the deciding frame to make sure of his continued progress in the competition.
Shaun Murphy will play Higgins for a place in the final after the 2005 world champion saw off Stuart Bingham 5-1.
Murphy won the first three frames before a break of 72 gave him a commanding 4-0 lead at the interval.
He had chances to whitewash his opponent after the resumption but Bingham dug in and ground out a 66-31 success.
However, a knock of 84 in the sixth frame carried Murphy over the line with time to spare.