LONDON, Jan 18: Australia's Neil Robertson produced a moment of magic as the defending Masters champion beat Mark Allen 6-5 to reach the semi-finals on Thursday.

With the quarter-final clash into a deciding frame, Northern Ireland's Allen put Robertson in trouble when he ran through off a red to tuck in behind the yellow.

Robertson's only real chance of an escape was to target a red hanging over a top pocket, and Allen could do nothing but watch as the 2010 world champion went off the baulk cushion and down to the pocket, clipping in the red and landing on the black.

From there the Australian made a 105 break to win the match and, while Allen labelled Robertson's shot a “fluke”, Robertson insisted it was played with the highest degree of skill.

“It was like trying to read a really horrible putt on a green. In terms of judgement it was probably the best shot I've ever played,” Robertson said.

“It's lucky but it's not a fluke. The blue was in the middle of the table and that makes it quite tough, so I had to play the white in a certain way that the white will arc and miss the blue and then to judge the pace and pot it and still be on the black.”

Robertson now faces a semi-final meeting with the winner of Thursday’s second quarter-final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy on Saturday.—AFP