Three-time winner Mark Williams held off a spirited John Higgins fightback to win a Crucible traditional 13-12 on the black as he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship.
Resuming at 8-8 on Wednesday, Higgins was initially left to rue expensive misses in every of the primary 4 frames as winner Williams reeled off all 4 with three half-centuries alongside the way in which.
Williams, 50, who had trailed 5-1, took the twentieth body however was then largely confined to his chair as four-time champion Higgins delivered a stirring response from 12-8 down.
The 49-year-old, who seemed to be labouring, abruptly discovered his rhythm and compiled breaks of 94, 114 and 67 to arrange a dramatic finale.
Each gamers had alternatives to clinch a tense closing body however when Higgins rattled the jaws of the nook pocket on the blue, the Welshman capitalised to turn into the oldest participant to succeed in the final 4 since 52-year-old Ray Reardon in 1985.
“Unbelievable sport, unbelievable end. The blue I performed was in all probability one among my finest pictures for a few years,” Williams instructed BBC Sport.
“What a blue…balls of metal. It was powerful a shot. I might have gone in-off. I might have over minimize it. I simply went for it full-blooded.
“There was not one little bit of nerves, perhaps I’ve solely had them a handful of occasions in my total profession.”
Williams’ victory over Higgins means he’ll face world primary Judd Trump subsequent in a repeat of their 2022 semi-final.
