Alex Borg and Brian Cini were eliminated from the IBSF World Championship quarter-finals but veteran Jason Peplow kept the Maltese flag flying high in Hurghada, Egypt, yesterday as he reached the Masters final which will be played today.

Cini started his match against Zhao Xintong by winning the opening two frames (63-46 and 92-29) but the young Chinese cueist hit back strongly to claim the next six without reply.

Zhao, 18, compiled a 108-clearance break in the sixth frame as Cini was unable to produce the same kind of play that saw him reaching the last eight in the tournament in convincing style.

Borg never got his game going against Pankay Advani yesterday.

The Indian potted three half-centuries and a 108 on his way to a resounding 6-0 victory over the Malta champion.

Peplow started the day with a nerve-wracking 4-3 win over Rafath Habib, of India, in the Masters quarter-finals.

Habib, 45, made his intentions clear with a stunning opening 134 clearance in the opener.

However, Peplow kept hold of his nerves to come back from 3-2 down and win the decider on black ball.

Peplow, 46, then extended his rich vein of form to the afternoon semi-finals where he brushed aside the challenge of UAE’s Al Joaker 5-1.

Peplow’s best break in this match was 48 in the fifth frame which, ironically, was won by Joaker 58-49. The Maltese cueist, however, sealed victory in the next game which went his way by the slimmest of margins, 70-69.

Today, Peplow plays Phisit Chandsri, of Thailand, for the Masters title.

Chandsri booked his place in the title match after whitewashing Ireland’s Alen Matic 5-0 in the other semi-final yesterday.