Williams to face Mark Selby in Shanghai Masters final

It took a final-frame decider for number one Williams to see off the challenge of Neil Robertson, with the Welshman winning 6-5.

Selby earlier thrashed Mark King 6-0 to book his place in the final.

The 28-year-old from Leicester had a break of 60 in the opening frame and was always in command against King.

He clinched victory with a run of 71, his highest of the match.

King had surprisingly beaten Selby at the Masters in January but the gritty Essex left-hander could not sustain a high enough level of play on this occasion.

The 37-year-old spurned the chances that came his way, and was frustrated by misfortune in the fifth frame when his break of 64 ended after he snookered himself on the yellow.

"It was a strange match. I didn't score that well but I played solid and didn't make many mistakes," said Selby, who won the Wuxi Classic in China earlier this season.

"Mark struggled and didn't capitalise on his chances, otherwise it could have been a different story."

King lamented: "I didn't sleep well so I was tired and I struggled. I had chances in most of the frames and if I could have just got one on the board it would have settled me down.

"Mark is a great player but he didn't have to play that well and that's the disappointing thing. It's been a poor day but a good week and I can take a lot of positives out of it."

Williams held his nerve to defeat Australian Robertson in a tense final frame.

He missed an easy pink, but Robertson then missed a blue and a long red and the world number one was able to seal the frame and secure his passage through to the final.

"I'm over the moon to be in the final," said Williams. "The conditions were difficult but I stuck in there."