John Higgins v Alan McManus: Qualifier McManus reaches first semi-final for 23 years

After losing to Stephen Hendry in 1993, the Scot, who had to qualify for this year’s event, shocked the four-times champion to set up a showdown with Ding Junhui in the last four.

The players traded frames until they were locked at 11-11 in the third session before McManus compiled up a sublime century-break of 128 to lead 12-9 before closing out the match.

“I thought if I could take it deep tonight, take him into the trenches, I can of fancied [winning],” said McManus afterwards.

The result means there will definitely be a qualifier in the final.

McManus staged a comeback before the mid-session interval to claw back to 7-7 in the second session, and took the first three frames of the day.

Higgins fought back in the next frame, 72-15, to reassert himself into the lead, and then hit a century break of 101 to finish the session with a 9-7 lead.

Second session: 9-75 (68), 42-68, 1-78 (66), 80-0 (80), 73-22, 40-73 (66), 72-15

John Higgins leads Alan McManus 5-3 after the opening session of their World Championship quarter-final in a match between two players with 42 appearances at The Crucible between them.

McManus first played the event in 1991 while Higgins - a four-time champion - took part for the first time in 1995, but neither man looked anything other than in top form during the session.

McManus grabbed an early advantage, bouncing back from the loss of the opening frame to claim the next three - one of which was claimed via a 114 break finished in flamboyant style.

Thereafter, however, it was one-way traffic as Higgins took control, the 40-year-old trumping keeping an opponent five years his senior away from the table as he outscored McManus 296-24 over the final four frames of the afternoon.

Session scores (Higgins's scores first): 74-1 (63), 0-115 (114), 5-85 (78),29-89 (56), 54-18, 73-6 (51), 96-0 (75), 73-0