Defending champion Sourav Kothari will face number one seed Peter Gilchrist in the final of the World Billiards Championship in Melbourne ©World Billiards

Defending champion Sourav Kothari will face number one seed Peter Gilchrist in the final of the World Billiards Championship in Melbourne.

Both players battled through their quarter-final and semi-final clashes today to set up the showpiece match tomorrow at RACV City Club.

India's Kothari won his semi-final 1090-594 against England's Mike Russell.

He beat another Englishman in the last eight, seeing off Robert Hall 1076-484.

Singapore's three-time former winner Gilchrist beat England's five-time champion David Causier in his semi-final, 1183-1023.

In the last eight he saw off Dhruv Sitwala of India 1312-418.

Singapore's Peter Gilchrist will aim for another world title ©Getty Images
Singapore's Peter Gilchrist will aim for another world title ©Getty Images

Causier knocked out Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar 1499-832 in his quarter-final, with Russell reaching the penultimate stage by seeing off the challenge of Australia's home hope Matthew Bolton, 1067-574. 

The Championship is one of the oldest in sport, with the men's event dating back to 1870.

Australia last staged the Championship, now run by World Billiards, in Melbourne in 1934.