Judd Trump reached his eighth semi-final of the season with a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Ding Junhui at the German Masters.
Having been forced to miss the Masters earlier this month owing to a positive Covid-19 test, Trump has cut a determined figure all week and he remains firmly on course to claim his fourth title of the campaign.
Reflecting on his win, Trump said: "For me this is my best season ever – I know I won six last year but the consistency I have shown this season has been second to none.
"Even when I haven’t been at my best in this tournament or at the UK Championship, I just manage to dig in when you need to under pressure."
After getting the better of a tight opening frame, the world number one burst into life with a century in frame two that was made possible by an outrageous positional shot from the black to develop the final red.
Trump ran with that momentum and extended his lead to 3-0 with a silky run of 79 before Ding finally got in on the act, the Chinese hitting back with a break of 83 in frame four.
Ding followed up with a typically pinpoint 93 in the fifth frame to reduce his arrears to 3-2, but when the next two frames were shared, Trump found himself on the verge of victory.
Trump duly closed out the match by dominating frame eight, setting up a last-four clash with Barry Hawkins who got the better of Jordan Brown on the other table.
Hawkins hasn't looked back this week ever since pulling off a miracle comeback against Ryan Day in the last 32 and he ran out a dominant victor here.
Despite making a break of 90 in frame two, Brown was always on the back foot as Hawkins put together contributions of 53, 116 and 50.
Lisowski resists Bingham comeback
Jack Lisowski's strong recent form continued when he booked his place in the semi-finals courtesy of a 5-3 defeat of Stuart Bingham.
Lisowski looked set for a comfortable evening's work when easing into a 3-0 lead thanks to breaks of 88 and 80.
However, Bingham rallied manfully to win the next two frames before just failing to level the scores when Lisowski edged a nervy sixth frame by potting the final pink.
The former world champion kept his hopes alive by claiming frame seven, but Lisowski made much of the running in the following frame and wrapped up victory when Bingham failed to sink a tricky red to the green pocket.
Awaiting Lisowski in the last four will be Tom Ford, a facile 5-1 victor over Joe O'Connor.
Ford has been in excellent form all week and he finished the match in style, a fabulous 134 total clearance capping another impressive display.
