Four players are left fighting it out as the Six Red World Championship semi-final stage is set to take place on Friday in Bangkok.
A pair of former champions will battle with a couple of likely pretenders, with a place in Saturday’s final up for grabs.
The opening affair reunites a familiar duo who have encountered each other on numerous important occasions in the past.
John Higgins and Mark Williams, who have seven world titles between them in the more traditional 15-reds game, clash in a tie that always whets the appetite.
Two years ago in Thailand, Williams triumphed in this tournament before going on an incredible run of form for a year that resulted in four ranking victories and culminated in a third crowning at the Crucible.
The Welshman was in good form on Thursday, thrashing Joe Perry 6-1 in the last 16 before a 6-3 defeat of Stuart Bingham.
Higgins had a more tasking day with a brace of 6-4 victories needed to see off the challenges of Wu Yize and David Gilbert respectively.
Williams and Higgins have played each other more than 50 times in all competitions so know the other’s games well, with their last meeting occurring in the 2018 world final.
The second Six Red World Championship semi-final fixture sees 2014 champion Stephen Maguire play Gary Wilson.
Wilson survived several scares on day four when, after denying Riga Masters champion Yan Bingtao 6-5, the Englishman survived a snookers required position while 5-4 down to Ding Junhui in a dramatic quarter-final climax.
The Tyne potter recovered the situation to force a decider, which he easily took with a single scoring visit to upset another highly-fancied Chinese competitor.
Maguire was involved in a tense match of his own, fighting back from 5-3 down to pip Jimmy White on the final black in the last frame.
Following that triumph, the Scot ran out a comfortable 6-2 winner against Ali Carter in the last eight.
The former UK champion and Wilson, who surprised many by reaching the World Championship semi-finals at the Crucible in May, have crossed paths on only four occasions throughout their careers with the scores tied at two wins apiece.
The Six Red World Championship runs until Saturday with more than £100,000 at stake for the champion.
For Williams and Wilson, it will also potentially provide them with an opportunity to gain an invitation into the lucrative Champion of Champions later this year – should they manage to emerge with the top prize.
