Champion of Champions result and report: Neil Robertson beats Mark Selby 6-5 in epic clash

The pair traded six centuries in seven frames and left seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, commentating on ITV4, to insist: “I’ve never seen a better best-of-11 match than this.”

Three times Selby nudged into a one-frame lead, only to be hauled back by the Australian, who made the first century of the match in the fourth frame, only for Selby to immediately respond with a 131.

Despite compiling his second century, a 137, in the seventh frame, Selby could still not shake off his opponent, who summoned a superb 141 total clearance to pull level again at 4-4.

An outrageous long double on the penultimate red helped Robertson, who already had the frame won, make another century in the next frame as he took the lead in the match for the first time.

But with both players in devastating form, it seemed inevitable that Selby would force a decider, and he duly did so with the sixth century in seven frames, a nerveless 137.

The decisive frame was inevitably a more calculated affair, with Robertson missing the first chance before gratefully taking his second to clinch a high-quality 6-5 win.

In the final Robertson will face either Judd Trump or Mark Allen, who meet in the second semi-final on Saturday.