Neil Robertson produced a stirring fightback from 5-1 down to defeat fellow two-time champion John Higgins 6-5 and move into the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace.
Robertson, who was only given the chance to compete after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s shock withdrawal, had looked down and out – but when Higgins missed an easy red to the right middle in the seventh frame it sparked a remarkable reversal of fortunes.
Higgins, making his 31st appearance in the event, looked completely dominant as he moved within a frame of victory with runs of 54, 78, 59, 86, 54 and 66.
However, Robertson capitalised on his reprieve and crucially found his rhythm to compile breaks of 63, 118 and 80 on his way to forcing a final-frame decider.
And while Higgins got in first with a 35, the Australian responded with a half-century of his own before completing a stunning victory.
“It was an unbelievable match. John was playing incredibly well for 5-1 and he didn’t really do anything wrong,” Robertson told BBC Sport.
“I played at my absolute best. I am so happy I could take my chance with Ronnie dropping out. That match there shows how well I can play.”
Robertson will now face Shaun Murphy or Gary Wilson in the last eight, with the English duo scheduled to play their last-16 match at 19:00 GMT.
