O'Sullivan missed a red to the corner in the opening frame and watched as Higgins produced a break of 55 to win it - and the Scot went from strength to strength.

After both players wasted chances early in the second frame, Higgins took control of it with a break of 109, then capitalised on a poor break from his opponent to go 3-0 up with a knock of 117.

The Rocket then missed a red into the middle and Higgins took advantage with a clearance of 105 to make it 4-0 at the mid-session interval.

When the players returned it did not take long for Wishaw's Higgins to wrap up the win, finishing off with a break of 72.

He will play Neil Robertson for a place in the final, after the Australian edged out Xiao Guodong 5-4.

Breaks of 114, 128 and 118 helped Robertson turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead and although his Chinese opponent responded with a run of 73 to take the contest to a decider, the Victorian then rallied with a break of 79 to win it.

Judd Trump will play Cao Yupeng in the other semi-final.

Trump ended the hopes of another Scot, Stephen Maguire, with a 102 in the second frame the highlight of his 5-2 win.

Cao took control of his contest by winning the first three frames. Although Walden won three of the next four, the Chinese held his nerve to win the eighth and wrap up a 5-3 success.