Shaun Murphy secured safe passage to the semi-finals of this year's Masters with a 6-3 defeat of Joe Perry at Alexandra Palace in London.
Murphy forged a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval, knocking in breaks of 51, 60 and 66 in the first three frames.
Perry struck first when play resumed, but the 2015 champion extended his advantage to 5-2, with a match-high break of 120 coming in the sixth frame before he pinched a pivotal seventh when Perry missed a crucial red which would have reduced Murphy's buffer to just one frame.
Perry did manage to take the eighth frame, but Murphy claimed the next to seal a place in the last four against England's Ali Carter or Scotland's John Higgins.
Ouch. That's gotta hurt... #DafabetMasters pic.twitter.com/nrJV14LyJ0
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) January 16, 2020
"I'm pleased to win. It was a big game for me, first chance to get in the semis in five years here," Murphy told Eurosport.
"Obviously the most important stat is getting to six first, which I did, but there were times in the match I was really struggling.
"I thought Joe was so unlucky, so often, with splits and cannons and things. On another day I might not be sat here."
