Ronnie O'Sullivan survives huge scare against Marco Fu to set up UK final with Mark Selby

But the five-times world and UK champion O'Sullivan must be wondering how he is still in the sport's second biggest ranking tournament after luck and nerves conspired to deny Fu a place in his second UK final having lost to Shaun Murphy in 2008.

Fu looked all set for victory when he was leading 5-4 and 21-1 in the tenth frame, but a huge kick on a red saw him a miss a straightforward pot as the likelihood of a match-winning clearance suddenly disappeared.

Yet opportunity would knock again for the former Grand Prix holder. With O'Sullivan visibly toiling, Fu again seemed poised for victory late in the penultimate frame. He trailed 46-45 and just needed green, brown, blue and pink to send the tournament favourite spinning out.

But he astonishingly missed the green with the rest to a baulk bag as O'Sullivan returned to the table to clear to pink in forcing a decider.

"Marco's a great champion, and a great lad," said O'Sullivan after surviving a thriller that ran for three hours and five minutes.

"When he potted yellow, I thought it was over. He is a very clinical player, but there is always pressure with the rest. It can get a bit jangly out there, and I wasn't totally surprised. But it was another lifeline. I'm happy how I dug in tonight.

"The holiday continues, and I've had a great time here. I've really enjoyed it in York. I'll be giving it my best in the final."

The Englishman had been let off a massive hook and rammed home the magnitude of Fu's error by making an immaculate 130 in the closing frame to book his spot in today's best-of-19 frames final with world champion and old rival Mark Selby, who eased through with a 6-2 drubbing of Shaun Murphy in Saturday's other semi-final.

O'Sullivan had picked up a relatively quick and easy first frame, with Fu unable to capitalise on his opponent's errors. The second frame saw Fu recover with an 80 enough to see him restore parity.

O'Sullivan ran in 76 to move 2-1 clear with a 54 the telling contribution in handing him a 3-1 advantage at the mid-session interval.

Fu showed his class with an immaculate knock of 100, but O'Sullivan remained two frames clear at 4-2 courtesy of a timely run of 58 and closing 43 in the sixth frame.

The night was only beginning to get interesting as Fu ralled with an 85 netting him the seventh frame before he punished O'Sullivan for breaking down on 47 with a knock of 59 in the eighth frame enough to level at 4-4.

O'Sullivan seemed to have moved up a gear in the ninth frame with tension palpable as he piced together an opening 59, but a kick on a missed red opened the door as modest but crucial runs of 30 and 38 carried him one frame from the final.

He looked likely to win a fourth straight frame, but it was not to be in what turned out to be unhappy outcome for the man from Happy Valley in Hong Kong.

Frame-by-frame: 75-20, 0-80 (80), 76-1 (76), 83-51 (54), 0-101 (100), 105-15 (58), 28-91 (85), 47-67 (59), 64-68 (59 O'Sullivan), 65-43, 130-0 (130)