Ding Junhui has reached the final of the UK Snooker Championship after beating Tom Ford.
The three-time champion is into his fourth final after a 6-3 victory at the Barbican in York.
Ding had dished out a 6-0 thrashing to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals as the world number one suffered a first whitewash in a Triple Crown event in his 30-year career.
He told the World Snooker Tour: "I missed a great chance to win 6-0. I picked the wrong choices with the colour balls and he started playing more relaxed. I took my eye off a little bit and maybe lost a little concentration.
"He didn't miss anything in the last few frames. I like to play here, since the first time I beat Steve Davis in 2005, I love this venue. I always feel good in the Barbican."
Ding is aiming to win the title he last won in 2019 and raced into a 5-0 lead and another whitewash looked on the cards.
But world number 32 Ford, who beat Joe Perry 6-4 in his quarter final, hit back to bring the score to 5-3 with breaks of 77, 64 and 64.
Another 64 break gave him the chance to make it 5-4 but Ding took the ninth frame 75-64 to reach the final.
Ding will face Mark Allen in the final after the Northern Ireland man sealed his third UK Championship final appearance.
The Pistol clinched the deciding frame against Jack Lisowski on the black, coming from 5-3 down to secure a dramatic 6-5 victory.
