The semi-finals at the 2025 World Open take place on Friday with two top 16 members and two lower-ranked contenders vying for the title in China.
There have been plenty of surprise results this week in Yushan, but there are still a couple of proven ranking event winners in the last-four lineup.
The other pair of challengers will attempt to etch their names onto silverware for the first time as professionals.
Let’s take a look at both semi-final clashes.
Joe O’Connor vs Ali Carter
Joe O’Connor continued his strong showing at the 2025 World Open by thumping the in-form Shaun Murphy with a 5-1 display on Thursday.
The Englishman, who beat world number one Judd Trump earlier in the event, compiled a hat-trick of tons in a superb performance against the Masters champion.
O’Connor is through to his first semi-final of the season but will be hoping to make the most of this situation and capture a maiden ranking title.
The 29 year-old will face Ali Carter next after the Captain edged Barry Hawkins in a dramatic last-eight battle that went the distance.
By guaranteeing himself £33,000 in prize money, Carter has moved up to 16th in the provisional Race to the Players Championship rankings – with the top 16 from that one-year list set to earn an invite to compete in Telford.
The 45 year-old is bidding to claim a seventh career ranking crown and a second of the ongoing campaign, having already won the season-opening Championship League.
Carter and O’Connor have encountered each other on just two previous occasions, with the former emerging victoriously both times.
When is it? Friday, February 28th at 11:30am UTC
Zak Surety vs John Higgins
John Higgins is the betting favourite for glory after the four-time world champion reached the penultimate round with a dominant 5-0 drubbing of Pang Junxu.
Higgins hasn’t added to his tally of 31 ranking titles since 2021, suffering from a series of near misses and false dawns in recent years.
But the 49 year-old will surely be buoyed not only by who’s left in the draw, but with the solid form he has demonstrated in the event so far.
The Scot will be expected to overcome Zak Surety, who has produced a week to remember by reaching the semi-finals of a ranking event for the first time in his career.
Surety, who has never been ranked inside the world’s top 64, ousted Tom Ford with a 5-3 scoreline on day five of the competition.
For both Surety and O’Connor, winning the 2025 World Open and collecting the £175,000 top prize would simultaneously provide qualification for the lucrative Players Championship too.
Surety, though, has failed to beat Higgins on the two previous times that he has faced the former world number one.
When is it? Friday, February 28th at 6am UTC
Featured photo credit: WST
