MARK Selby and Marco Fu will meet in the first semi-final at the Haikou World Open on Saturday after coming through their quarter-finals today.
Selby won two key frames on the way to beating Alan McManus 5-1 while Fu recovered from 3-2 down to beat Mark Joyce 5-3.
Having lost the opening frame, Selby scrambled the second on the black and, the momentum his, pulled away to lead 3-1.
The crucial frame proved to be the fifth, in which McManus led by 22 with 22 on but missed the brown. Selby cleared to force a re-spotted black and later sank it from distance to land a hammer blow.
The world no.2, seeking his first ranking title since he won the 2012 UK Championship, then added the sixth frame to complete victory.
There was a barrage of big breaks early in the Fu-Joyce match. Joyce contributed runs of 77 and 108 while Fu made 71 and 104 as the match reached the interval all square at 2-2.
Fu also made 89 in the sixth before winning the key frame of the match. Joyce just needed the brown to make it safe but twice missed it and Fu secured the frame on the black to lead 4-3.
A 57 made the early running in the eighth and one further scoring visits was enough to kill off the match.
Fu is looking to reach his third ranking tournament final of the season having won the Australian Goldfields Open and finished runner-up in the International Championship.
Selby, who won a European Tour title earlier in the campaign, has been runner-up in the UK Championship and the Masters in recent months.
Photographs by Monique Limbos.