Ali Carter took six of the eight frames on offer in the second session of his World Championship semi-final with Joe Perry to take a 9-7 lead in their best of 33 clash at the Crucible.

Trailing 5-3 after the opening session, Carter rattled off five frames in a row at the start of the second session as he took advantage of an out of sorts Perry.

Perry managed to then win the next two frames to stop a rot of six frames dropped in row (including the last frame from the previous session), but Carter capped off a highly satisfying afternoon with a fine clearance of 128.

The first couple of frames of the afternoon were scrappy affairs and Perry will be disappointed he couldn't take at least one of them.

The second session of the frame was particularly frustration as he had taken charge with a break of 57.

However, Carter came back with a 51 of his own, and then took pink and black after a nervy safety exchange.

After that frame, Carter really took control, with breaks of 56, 101, and 64 helping him rattle off three quick frames in a row to move 8-5 in front

Perry though finally edged a tight frame to make it 8-6, and that gave him the confidence to polish off a fine clearance of 127 to the pink.

However, Carter then had his effort of 128, to regain a two frame advantage going into the third session which will take place on Saturday morning.

FIRST SESSION REPORT

Joe Perry leads Ali Carter 5-3 after the first session of their semi-final at the World Championships in Sheffield.

The world number 14 was the more composed and clinical of the two players, who are both in unchartered territory among the final four at the Crucible.

Carter was noticeably tense, and the scintillating form that saw him past Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals was not forthcoming. The 28-year-old made a memorable 147 in that match, but his capacity for break-building appeared to have deserted him on the biggest night of his career.

Perry began with a statement of intent, taking the opening frame with a fluent half-century, before edging a scrappy second to go two ahead.

Chances came and went for both players, but Perry was profited from his opponent's misses to go 3-0 ahead with a break of 68.

Carter kept his nerve, however, and won the next to go into the mid-session interval 3-1 behind. A half-century in the fifth frame brought him closer still, but Perry compiled an impressive break of 84 to make it 4-2.

Carter then increased his lead to 5-2, before Carter capitalised on a mistake to win the eighth and end the session just two frames behind.

The match resumes on Friday at 14:30 (BST).

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Sean Fay & Will Tidey / Eurosport