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Mark Selby knocked defending champion Neil Robertson out of the English Open with victory in a high-quality semi-final in Brentwood, Essex.
The four-time world champion battled back from 3-1 down to win 6-4, making two centuries and three breaks over 50.
Selby, 39, ended a run of seven defeats against the 40-year-old Australian to reach his first ranking final since winning the 2021 world title.
The Englishman will face either Mark Allen or Luca Brecel in Sunday’s final.
“I’m really happy,” said the 2019 English Open champion, after avenging a defeat to Robertson in the 2020 semi-finals.
“The last two or three times he’s beaten me he has played faultless snooker – it was a bit like playing against a computer. I knew I needed to win frames in one visit to beat Neil and today I managed to do that.”
Selby punished a Robertson mistake to steal the opening frame but then only potted one ball in the next three.
Two breaks of 78 and a 141 clearance – Robertson’s seventh century of the tournament – seemingly put the Australian in full control of the match before the interval.
But Selby won two scrappy frames after the break to battle back level and then regained the lead with a 136 clearance.
Momentum swung once more as Robertson replied with a break of 66 to level at 4-4, but Selby moved to within a frame of victory with his second century (104) of the match and then clinched the win with a break of 85.
Northern Ireland’s Allen, who has won the UK Championship and Northern Ireland Open this season, plays world number 11 Brecel, of Belgium, in Saturday’s second semi-final from 19:00 GMT.
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