Wuxi Classic: Neil Robertson to face Barry Hawkins in semi-finals
Last Updated: 27/06/14 5:33pm
Defending champion Neil Robertson beat England's Shaun Murphy 5-4 in the battle of the former world champions to reach the semi-finals of the Wuxi Classic in China.
Murphy won the first frame, but his Australian opponent won the next three to take control of the contest in China.
Murphy pulled one back, levelled the match with a break of 77, and then won the next frame to move within sight of victory.
However, Robertson squared matters with the match's biggest break, a 95, then won the decider on the black to set up a semi-final match against Barry Hawkins.
Hawkins also won 5-4, with a knock of 89 proving decisive in a match against Marco Fu he never trailed in.
The Englishman took the first and third frames but was pegged back on each occasion by Fu, who made it 2-2 with a break of 101.
Fu opened with a 61 in the fifth frame but a 73 restored Hawkins' lead - and he went 4-2 up with a knock of 70 in the sixth.
Nerve held
Fu won the next two - but Hawkins' nerve held and a run of 89 in the ninth frame took him into the last four.
The other semi-final will be between Martin Gould and Joe Perry.
Gould raced into a strong position in his quarter-final, with breaks of 93 and 70 giving him a 2-0 lead over Stephen Maguire.
But Maguire hit back with runs of 145, 71 and 77 to win three consecutive frames and take the lead.
Gould levelled twice more to take the contest to a deciding frame, which he won 65-57 despite a knock of 52 from the Scot.
Perry's match against Robin Hull was the only one which did not need a decider.
Perry did not look back in the 5-2 success after a break of 137 in the opening frame. Further knocks of 74, 70, 67 and 60 finished off his Finnish opponent.
