SHAUN MURPHY shattered the teenage dreams of Luca Brecel as he survived a nerve-wracking quarter-final with snooker’s new young star at the williamhill.com UK Championship.
On more than one occasion Murphy looked a beaten man.
However, 17-year-old Belgian Brecel twice faltered with the victory line in sight, missing crucial pinks in the 10th and 11th frames to allow the 2008 UK champion to pinch a 6-5 win.
Brecel had stepped up his performance level after scrappy wins over Ricky Walden and Mark King but when it mattered most he was found wanting.
Murphy handed him a chance late in the decider, missing the final red when it appeared he got a kick and Brecel looked as if he was on a certain victory march.
However, the youngster left the cue ball the wrong side of the blue and once he sank that ball, he could not get close enough to the pink to make it a formality.
Brecel rattled the pink in the jaws and it rolled kindly for Murphy who, having been in his chair and surely considering his exit, seized the chance to save himself.
Murphy (30) will tackle Ali Carter in the first semi-final today.
Carter triumphed in his all-Essex battle with Stuart Bingham.
The 33-year-old Tiptree potter was made to work hard for his victory, with Premier League champion Bingham coming from 4-2 behind to draw level at 4-4.
However, the Basildon man could not complete a fightback and a 60 break nudged Carter ahead again before he added a scrappy final frame to take a 6-4 win.
Bingham had a run of 74 to take the opening frame but Carter struck back with atotal clearance of 134 in the next and in the end, his greater experience helped him over the line.
He has been to a UK Championship semi-final before, in 2008 and is a two-time World runner-up.