Mark Allen beats Batty Hawkins 13-11 at the Crucible to reach World Championship semi-finals

In the end, a brilliant match was decided in peculiar circumstances, Hawkins leaving the white short and fouling when trying to roll up to the pink, allowing Allen to cooly pot yellow and green before letting out a rare roar of emotion.

A contest that Hawkins dominated in the early part burst into the life in the second session on Tuesday, the pair trading three centuries in as many frames as Allen hauled him himself from 7-4 down to level terms at 8-8 overnight.

Wednesday morning's concluding session had more edge to it, with both men visibly feeling the heat, though Allen started the stronger by taking the first two frames, only to watch Hawkins win the next two.

10-10 soon became 11-11 as nothing would give until Allen produced his final hand, a third century of the match for the Northern Irishman putting him within touching distance of victory.

A run of 59 followed which, with the aid of a couple of nerveless late pots and an error Hawkins might struggle to forget, booked his place in the last four.

Asked how he was feeling, Allen the BBC afterwards: "Relief more than anything.

"Barry scored really well. He had 14 breaks of 50 which is a ridiculous level, and to come out on top shows where my game is as well.

"I thought the second session was one of the best I have ever been involved in. It was really high-quality snooker.

"I have won everything else, why can't I win this?"

The quarter-final between Neil Robertson and John Higgins also looks set for a tense finish, with the Australian currently leading 9-7.

After a sluggish start, Higgins finally found the form that saw him down Ronnie O'Sullivan in the previous round, rallying from 6-3 down to level the scores at 6-6.

However, Robertson responded with a three-frame burst of his own, before Higgins won the final frame of the morning with a break of 80.