Resilient Neil Robertson denies Kyren Wilson to reach English Open semi-finals
Robertson and Wilson produced fireworks on Bonfire Night in Milton Keynes
Neil Robertson booked his place in the English Open semi-finals as he came from behind four times before seeing off Kyren Wilson on Friday.
The Thunder beat the Warrior for the first time in four attempts after prevailing in a high-quality encounter between two former finalists at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
2017 runner-up Wilson struck first with 52 before 2020 finalist Robertson had a chance of a 147 in frame two, only to break down on 104 after missing the 14th red with the rest.
The one-visit snooker continued; Wilson hitting centuries of 117 and 110, only to be pegged back on each occasion as Robertson responded with 72 and 95.
A run of 55 moved the world number five to the brink of the semi-finals, but the Australian forced a decider with a timely 126 total clearance.
And having not led through the entirety of the contest, the two-time Home Nations winner snatched victory with a break of 70.
His reward is a semi-final showdown with fellow left-hander Mark King, who ended the title defence of reigning champion Judd Trump with a 5-3 win.
King had lost the last 10 meetings between the players, but took the opening frame with 65 before doubling his lead on the black.
Seeking a 12th straight win in this event, Trump turned things around with breaks of 84 and 63 along the way.
However, former Northern Ireland Open champion King was not to be denied; the world number 54 winning the next three frames to advance to his first ranking event semi-final since the 2018 European Masters.
Meanwhile, Ronnie O’Sullivan is through to his 84th ranking event semi-final after a commanding 5-1 win over former China Championship winner Luca Brecel.
The Rocket, who lifted the Steve Davis trophy in 2017, hit breaks of 54, 85, 56, 69 and 90 to remain on course for a second title.
He sets up a mouth-watering showdown with John Higgins, who defeated Yan Bingtao for the second time in three weeks.
The four-time World champion was a 6-2 winner when the players faced off in the Northern Ireland Open semi-finals last month.
And the Scotsman was victorious once again as he withstood Yan’s fightback from 4-0 down to eventually prevail 5-3.