Australia's Neil Robertson advanced into the semi-finals of the UK Championships after the former world champion beat China's Ding Junhui 6-2 here on Thursday.
Robertson, world champion in 2010, was locked at 2-2 with two-time UK winner Ding at the mid-session interval.
But the left-hander then won the next four successive frames, later saying his enjoyment of high-stakes matches had helped propel him to this victory in snooker's second most important event.
"When there is more riding on the match I tend to play a lot better," Robertson said. "I just love winning tournaments and playing in semi-finals and finals, and today I felt so confident and was convinced I was going to win."
Robertson will now face Judd Trump after the Englishman, beaten in this year's World Championship final by John Higgins, defeated Scotland's Stephen Maguire 6-3.
Trump, echoing Robertson's comments, told the BBC: "When I am out there now I just feel so confident in front of the cameras.
"Last season I just did not want to be out there but now I'm just trying to get as much TV coverage as possible and get used to it," said the 22-year-old from Bristol, south-west England.
Trump, who beat former world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-5 in the second round, added: "I'm probably practising the least amount I have all season but playing the best. I'm just trying to enjoy myself off the table and completely forget about snooker."
In the day's other quarter-finals Mark Allen beat Hong Kong's Marco Fu 6-5 while Ricky Walden defeated former world champion Shaun Murphy 6-3.
Northern Ireland's Allen, who faces the prospect of disciplinary and even legal action as a result of his outspoken attack on world snooker supremo Barry Hearn, won the first two frames before Fu drew level at 2-2.
Allen then won the next two for a 4-2 lead but breaks of 131 and 63 saw Fu square the match again at 4-4.
The 33-year-old Fu then went into the lead for the first time by taking the ninth frame only for Allen to restore parity at 5-5 and then take the decider.
Meanwhile, Ali Carter appeared to pull back from his stated intention to retire at the end of the season.
Following his 6-2 second-round loss to Allen on Wednesday, Carter told his Twitter followers: "Going to retire at the end of the season! And I can't wait!
"I'm dead serious, life is too short to do something you don't enjoy, 25 years is enough! Pastures new...."
However, the former World Championship finalist said on Thursday: "Thanks for all your messages. Maybe I should have kept my thoughts to myself!
"They were obviously in the heat of the moment but I also genuinely have some serious thinking to do about my future at the end of this season and what direction I want to head," added the Englishman.
Source: AFP European Edition
