Ali Carter has qualified for his first World Championship final at the Crucible after an absorbing 17-15 victory over Joe Perry in the semi-final.

Carter will now face Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final which will take place on Sunday and then into the Bank Holiday Monday.

In a thrilling final session that went back-and-forth, Carter won a nail-biting final frame that had a little bit of everything.

While leading 32-0 in that frame, Carter completely missed that he was leaving on a plant while playing safe; Perry nailed it and looked like he was going to take full advantage and take the frame.

He built a good break but after trying to push the final red off the cushion, he then cruelly saw the cue ball miss the red and drop into one of the corner pockets.

What followed was a cat and mouse affair on the final red, with both players missing very potable chances in the unbelievably tense atmosphere.

However, Carter finally got in to pot the final red and then the colours that he needed to win the match.

It was a nervy final frame, but it came at the end of a very watchable session full of quality snooker.

After starting the session level on a 12-12 scoreline, Perry kept getting his nose in front only for Carter to then immediately peg him back.

A break of 110 from Perry had put him 15-14 up but then Carter got back in with a 77 to level matters at 15-15.

Carter then took the lead for the first time in the session in the next frame but Perry was furious as a mobile phone went off in the crowd just as he was attempting to pot a red.

What followed was the dramatic final frame, and Carter punched the air with great delight when he finally potted the pink that saw him book his date with O'Sullivan.

THIRD SESSION REPORT

Joe Perry and Ali Carter are level at 12-12 after the penultimate session of their see-saw semi-final at the World Championships in Sheffield

Carter began the morning 9-7 ahead, but his inability to convert frame-winning opportunities cost him dearly in the opening exchanges.

Perry took first two frames of the day to bring parity to proceedings, before a clinical finish in the 19th frame and half-century in the 20th took him ahead.

Finally Carter began to play. A fluent break of 68, his first meaningful stint at the table, made it 11-10.

Perry responded in kind, however, and bettered it with an 82 to re-establish a two-frame cushion.

The final two frames of the session were scrappy, disjointed affairs littered with mistakes. The enormity of the occasion was clearly getting to the players, and both spurned glorious opportunities.

Somehow Carter won both and despite playing well below his potential ended the third session of the match on level terms.

The match will play to a finish in Saturday's evening session, and you can follow the action live from 19:00 (BST) right here.

SECOND SESSION REPORT

Carter took six of the eight frames on offer in the second session of his semi-final 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