Tiger Woods beat defending champion Henrik Stenson two-up to reach the WGC Match Play Championship final, where he will face fellow American Stewart Cink.

With his match all-square, the world number one sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th to end Stenson's reign.

And Cink beat Justin Leonard 4&2 to progress to Sunday's 36-hole final at the $8m event in Arizona.

"It feels great just to get this far. I've never got this far before. It's a blast," said Cink.

"I started so hot. Physically I was running out of gas and mentally I started thinking ahead a little bit."

Level after three, Cink won the fourth and fifth holes with birdies before missing a five-foot birdie putt at the sixth.

Cink eagled the par-4 seventh and birdied the par-3 eighth to stretch his margin to four-up.

He kept that margin until Leonard won his first hole of the match with a par at the 15th to leave him three-down with three to play.

But Leonard missed a 40-foot birdie putt at the 16th and surrendered the hole and the match.

Stenson and Woods staged a tense fight down the back nine and while the Swede was never ahead, he won the 16th with an eight-foot birdie to square the match.

But Woods' clutch putt at the penultimate hole proved decisive and Stenson conceded when he struggled to reach the green at the next hole with Woods on in two.

"It was a nice putt to make," said Woods.

"Whether you succeed or fail, at least you have a chance. Luckily, over my career, I've succeeded more than I've failed."

Woods is seeking his fourth USPGA tournament triumph in a row and his sixth worldwide victory in as many events.

Earlier he progressed to the semi-finals with a 3&2 win over South Korean KJ Choi, chipping in to eagle the par-five 10th and sealing the win with a par on the 16th green.

Stenson beat American Woody Austin 2up, while Cink saw off Angel Cabrera 3&2 and Leonard edged past Vijay Singh 1up.