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China's Liang Wenbo reaches semifinals at snooker UK Championship

Xinhua, December 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

China's Liang Wenbo edged out Marco Fu of Hong Kong, China, 6-5 in an all-Chinese affair to reach the semifinals of the snooker UK Championship in York, Britain, on Friday.

Liang, whose only ranking final came at the 2009 Shanghai Masters when he lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan, made a sensational start Friday by winning the first three frames with breaks of 106, 132 and 138. In the next frame he had a chance to join Higgins, Robertson and Shaun Murphy as the only players to make four consecutive centuries, but broke down on 49. Fu cleared with 64 to pull one back.

The next two frames were shared then world number 29 Liang made a 67 to go 5-2 ahead. He might have sealed victory in the next but missed on 45 and his opponent cleared with 79. Fu, runner-up in 2008, added the next two frames with top runs of 45 and 49 for 5-5.

Both players had chances in the decider but it was Liang who took control with breaks of 28 and 32, and he clinched the result when a safety error from Fu left the penultimate red over a baulk corner.

"I made a great start with three centuries, then he put me under a lot of pressure from 5-2," said Liang. "When it got to 5-5 it was very tough. I thought I would lose but I just tried to stay calm and enjoy it. Marco and I are friends and it was a good game."

Former world No. 1 Neil Robertson also enjoyed an epic 6-5 win to book a semifinal berth after beating three-time winner John Higgins.

The world number three Robertson, chasing back-to-back titles having won the Champion of Champions last month, now faces Mark Selby or Matthew Selt Saturday evening, while Liang is through to his first UK semifinal and meets Martin Gould or David Grace. Endit