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Mark Williams showed craft and quality to book his place in the semi-finals of the Grand Prix with a 5-2 success over Robert Milkins.

Williams was not at his best but Milkins passed up a number of chances and this allowed the former world champion to progress to a semi-final meeting with Ding Junhui who beat Peter Ebdon 5-2.

Both Milkins and Williams are known for their potting abilities, but the first couple of frames were littered with errors. Williams ran out of position when well placed to take the opening frame and an excellent pink saw Milkins edge ahead.

The second frame was similarly scrappy but on this occasion it was Williams who took it to level things up.

The third frame saw Williams stamp his class on the contest with an excellent break of 70 and he followed up with a 73 to take a two-frame lead into the interval.

Williams extended his lead immediately after the interval with a fabulous break that included a stunning red and a doubled black.

Milkins had his back against the wall at 4-1 down but he dug in and ground out the sixth frame with a break of 49.

The Gloucestershire native looked like gathering a head of steam as he raced through a break of 65 and was a red away from the frame when he left the ball over the pocket.

Williams had plenty to do when coming to the table, but a nerveless and faultless 70 secured him victory and his first ranking tournament semi-final since March 2006.

Ding will be Williams's opponent in the last four after he battled back to beat Ebdon.

The first two frames slipped through Ding's grasp as he made errors and Ebdon swept up the crumbs.

Ding did not let the setbacks of the first two frames worry him as he constructed a superb 107 break to get a foothold in the game.

The fourth frame went the way of the Chinese sensation as well, but it was hard work as Ebdon looked well placed only to see his break falter at 41.

Ding showed he can craft a frame as well as blow his opponent away, as a superb snooker set up the chance and he duly cleared to level the match at the interval.

A lengthy safety exchange greeted the start of the second session and it was Ding who came out on top - breaks of 48 and 46 securing him a lead for the first time in the match.

Ebdon passed up chances to level the match and a break of 47 took Ding into a 4-2 lead.

Again it was Ebdon with first chance in frame seven, but a horrible miscue let in Ding and he produced a superb 77 break to clinch a place in the last four.

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