Selby, Wilson & Bingham reach semi-finals

Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 17 April-3 May
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and Red Button, with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app.

Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson marched into the semi-finals of the World Championship with commanding victories over Mark Williams and Neil Robertson.

Selby thrashed fellow three-time champion Williams 13-3, to win with a session to spare.

And Wilson reeled off five frames in a row to seal a 13-8 victory over 2010 winner Robertson.

Meanwhile, Stuart Bingham came through a dramatic final-frame decider against Anthony McGill to reach the last four.

Bingham will play Selby next while Wilson will face Judd Trump or Shaun Murphy.

Scotland’s McGill had looked the most likely victor when he made a brilliant 106 to extend his overnight lead to 10-7.

However, 2015 champion Bingham, who came through qualifying, responded in superb fashion with breaks of 85, 90 and 91 as he won five consecutive frames.

A see-saw encounter then saw McGill win two frames in a row to level the match at 12-12 before Bingham clinched victory in sensational fashion with a break of 125.

In the remaining quarter-final Murphy made breaks of 85, 104 and 124 to establish a commanding 10-6 lead over world number one Trump prior to Wednesday night’s concluding session.

Having traded frames during the first part of the match, Murphy, who won his only title 16 years ago, produced some scintillating snooker against an uncharacteristically tentative Trump to stretch clear.

Selby moves into a different gear

Leading 6-2 overnight, Selby looked back to his best as he made breaks of 96, 58 and 66 en route to winning the opening four frames of the day.

Williams, who last won the world title in 2018, briefly rallied with a 79 before Selby completed his win.

“He totally outplayed me,” Williams said. “I thought he was brilliant from start to finish. His potting was better and his safety was better, which is not that easy to do.

“If Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson and the others are all playing well and Selby is playing well, he is in a different class to the lot of them.

“If he keeps playing like that he is better than anyone else in the game and I think he will win it.”

Meanwhile, Wilson reached his third Crucible semi-final after dispatching one of the pre-tournament favourites in Australia’s Robertson.

With the match delicately poised at 8-8 overnight Wilson, who beat Judd Trump at the same stage last year, opened up with a superb break of 133 before moving 11-8 ahead.

Last year’s beaten finalist also won a scrappy 20th frame to leave Robertson needing to win all five remaining frames, and a composed break of 84 saw Wilson confirm a comprehensive win.

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