Robertson reaches final four

The confident cueman from Melbourne clinched a brilliant 13-8 victory over world number two Stephen Maguire, and will take on Shaun Murphy next.

Murphy defeated seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 13-11 to progress.

Robertson and Maguire slugged out a slow-paced afternoon session which included a frame lasting one hour and three minutes.

But the gutsy 27-year-old from Down Under dominated the early play this evening before fending off the threat of a fightback from Maguire to seal his semi-final place.

The late Eddie Charlton was the last Australian to reach the last four in Sheffield, 27 years ago. He was knocked out by Ray Reardon.

Australia's only world snooker champion to date has been Horace Lindrum, who won the 1952 title when the game's top players staged a boycott.

Robertson takes his place in a youthful-looking semi-final line-up, which also features 23-year-old Northern Irishman Mark Allen and 26-year-old Murphy.

Leicester's Mark Selby, 25, was tonight involved in an engrossing battle with John Higgins, with the 33-year-old Scot reluctant to give up his dream of winning a third world title this year.

Selby led 11-10 but was struggling to shake off the challenge from his opponent.