Ali Carter has reached the semi-finals of the Masters after beating John Higgins – but all the talk was on one major controversial incident in the quarter-final tie.

Carter, leading 4-3 at the time, attempted a safety on the yellow ball during a vital period of play in the eighth frame.

Referee Desislava Bozhilova initially called a foul after seeing the white didn’t hit the yellow.

But Carter immediately intervened and told the referee, as she was announcing the foul, that he actually hit the object ball.

Ali Carter. Picture by Monique Limbos

After some confusion, Higgins was then made to play the next shot meaning the referee had reversed her initial decision to call a foul.

However TV replays showed that the referee’s initial decision to state a foul shot was indeed the correct one.

BBC commentator John Virgo questioned why the referee had changed her mind. 

On commentary he said: “If the referee calls a foul it doesn’t matter if a player says they have hit it.

“He didn’t hit it on the way up or on the way back.

“So why has the referee changed the decision because the player told her different?”

Carter went on to win the frame and the next to record a 6-3 win over former Masters champion Higgins.

He will next play Shaun Murphy for a place in Sunday’s final. Murphy beat Joe Perry 6-3 earlier on in the day.