Three-time champion Mark Williams produced a vintage display to defeat world number one Judd Trump 17-14, becoming the oldest ever player to reach a World Championship final.
The Welshman, who turned 50 in March, eclipses his compatriot Ray Reardon, who won the title six times and appeared in the 1982 final as a 49-year-old.
Williams had trailed 7-3 early in the match but his enduring class shone through as he reined in the 2019 winner to 8-8 on Friday, then pulled clear over two sessions on Saturday to avenge his 17-16 loss to Trump in their last-four Crucible thriller in 2022.
Resuming 13-11 up, the Welshman took the first two frames with half centuries before Trump responded with his 106th century of a fruitful campaign, which has yielded six appearances in finals.
However, when Trump hit a safety shot too thinly, it left Williams among the balls and he capitalised with a superb 100 break of his own to lead 16-12 at the mid-session interval.
The 35-year-old Englishman, who was looking to add to his world crown from 2019, took the 29th frame and made a 116 clearance when Williams missed a red to the left middle to get back to 16-14.
His hopes of a revival were dashed when he missed a difficult black to the right corner and Williams wrapped up a famous victory with his second century of the evening.
Williams will now face China’s Zhao Xintong in the first world final to be contested by two left-handed players.
Their best-of-35 encounter will get under way on Sunday at 13:00 BST, which will be live on BBC Two.
