Paul Hunter missed a 147 but still chalked up the highest break of this year's Benson and Hedges Masters on his way to a 10th successive Wembley win.
Defending champion Hunter breezed into the last four after a 6-1 humbling of Stephen Lee at the Conference Centre this afternoon.
"I thought I was awesome," said the 24-year-old Yorkshireman, who is now within touching distance of becoming only the second player in 29 years to win three successive Masters.
"I suppose there is always room for improvement but I don't know how," added Hunter - who finished with two tons and four other half-centuries in his 93-minute stroll.
"I just feel really at home playing here, though I still get a bit nervous when I walk up the stairs into the arena.
"I had an orange Bacardi Breezer to settle me down - but just the one," smiled Hunter, by his own admission, a reformed playboy.
Hunter, who won the British Open title at Telford back in November, stamped his authority on the match right from the start.
However, Hunter was out of luck in the second frame when he potted his way to the verge of a 147 break in frame two.
He knocked in 13 reds and 13 blacks before jawing the penultimate red, bridging over the pink.
"It was a rush of blood," admitted the world number nine from Leeds. I should have used the 'spider' and then I probably would have had a shot at the black.
"The main thing was I got the win," he added.
He reached the interval 4-0 up before Lee avoided the whitewash with runs of 30 and 44. It was only temporary respite as Hunter finished off the game with breaks of 138 and 98 as Lee failed to pot a ball.
Hunter's 138 takes the lead for a Stg22,000 high break prize and easily topped the previous highest of 122 held by Australian Quinten Hann.
Hunter now meets the winner of tomorrow's quarter-final between John Higgins and Mark Williams for a place in his third Masters final.