John Higgins stunned world number one Judd Trump as he fought back from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win 6-5 and reach his first Masters final since 2021.
The Scot had lost his previous seven matches against the Englishman and appeared to be toiling as he made a series of errors in the opening three frames.
However, Trump, whose highest break until that point was just 60, failed to convert two good opportunities to take the fourth frame which provided Higgins with a route back into the contest.
“He should maybe have been 4-0 in front and I maybe made it too easy for him,” Higgins, who won the second of his two Masters titles 20 years ago, told BBC Sport.
“The fourth frame was massive because if he goes 4-0 it’s done, but at 3-1 I felt good.”
“People will laugh but I think I’m a better player now than I’ve ever been. You play these great champions like Judd and I am so proud because I’ve lost the last few against him.”
With the momentum shifting, Higgins, 50, also took the fifth with a superb 104 break.
The Englishman pinched the sixth and eighth frames with half centuries after his opponent missed reds, but Higgins made a 57 clearance in similar fashion to take frame seven.
Trump, 36, who has generally held sway in meetings between the pair since triumphing in their 2019 world final, looked set to seal victory in the ninth frame but with just four balls to pot, remarkably missed a routine brown.
And that gave Higgins the impetus to craft pressure-breaks of 70 and 57 on his way to reeling off three tense frames in a row to complete a remarkable turnaround and become the oldest player to reach the final of a Triple Crown event.
Kyren Wilson takes on Wu Yize from 19:00 GMT on Saturday for a place in Sunday’s final against Higgins.
