John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams reach World Championship semi-finals

John Higgins survived a final-frame decider against Jack Lisowski to book his place in the World Championship semi-finals and seal an historic achievement for the fabled ‘Class of 92′.

After earlier wins for Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams, Higgins’ 13-12 success marks the first time the trio – who all turned professional 30 years ago – have reached the last four at the Crucible since 1999.

Higgins will face O’Sullivan, who swiftly dispatched Stephen Maguire upon the resumption of their quarter-final, while Williams battled past Yan Bingtao to set up a last-four clash with 2019 champion Judd Trump.

“We’ve got three of us who all came through in 1992 and we’re into the semi-finals 30 years later,” said Williams, who at 47 is the oldest semi-finalist since Ray Reardon in 1985.

“What other sport can do something like that? It doesn’t really happen.”

Higgins stood on the brink of defeat when Lisowski, who stunned favourite Neil Robertson in the previous round, retrieved a 11-9 deficit to take the lead for the first time since the first frame of the match.

But the 46-year-old drew on his decades of experience to respond with a century to force the decider, then seized on an early missed red by Lisowski to compile a match-winning break of 72.

“I really don’t know where those two frames came from at the end,” admitted Higgins.

“I was struggling all day and I had not been taking my chances. You’ve just got to find a way to get over the winning line.”

Earlier, O’Sullivan insisted “I’m no superstar” after cruising into the last four for a record 13th time by wrapping up a comfortable 13-5 win over Maguire.

The 46-year-old reeled off breaks of 71 and 126 in the first two frames of the morning session to surpass the record he