With a CV as illustrious as the one John Higgins can boast, I am loathe to take him on at any stage - particularly when he has just beaten a player of Judd Trump's calibre - and at odds of , the five-time world champion is a strong favourite to see off Lyu Haotian in their semi-final clash.

However, this game is all about value and a closer look at this week's action would suggest that chance Haotian has plenty going for him and has probably been underestimated in the betting, both for his semi-final and in the outright market.

Haotian has made significant strides in the last 12 months and finds himself up to number 30 in the One Year World Rankings List following some fine results, most notably when reaching the last 16 of the World Championships in April.

The 20-year-old is clearly honing his craft as he gains more experience and his form this week has been most impressive.

Haotian has already claimed the scalps of Joe Perry and Shaun Murphy here and will have been pleased with his scoring when defeating Martin O'Donnell 5-1 in their quarter-final.

Breaks of 124, 102, 58 and 57 helped Haotian breeze into the last-four and if he can produce a similar level of performance against Higgins, the Scot might be in trouble against a young player who is rapidly improving and is sure to be full of confidence.

Related snooker links