SHAUN MURPHY said his five-frame burst to win his williamhill.com UK Championship semi-final was the best of his career.

The world number four staged an incredible fightback to recover from 8-4 down to beat Ali Carter 9-8 and said: “I was a long way down against Matthew Stevens in the worlds one year and came back to win and I think I was 8-2 against Ding in the Wuxi Classic a couple of years ago in the final and won 9-8.

“I’ve been behind further but, for the semis of the UK Championship, when I was all but dead and buried, that has got to be my best five-frame spell ever.”