John Higgins saw off Xiao Guodong 10-3 in the quarter finals, looking in complete control.
He said: "I won tough games at the World Open, coming back from a few frames down.
"It has given me back the belief in my game and my fighting qualities, that I can still do it at this level, that has been the most important thing.
"Big players are winning multiple events, that's what I need to try to do. I still want to compete with them.
"If I ever lose that I have got no chance."
Kyren Wilson’s bid for glory was derailed by a nosebleed on Thursday night.
The reigning world champion saw his match with Ding Junhui suspended for 30 minutes yesterday as he was treated by medics.
Wilson told ITV: “It was a nightmare.
“I think it was just exhaustion. I went deep in the Players Championship and then had three back-to-back exhibitions after that.
“In hindsight it is probably a good thing. It’ll give me two weeks to knuckle down and get a bit of rest and get ready for the World Championships.”
There's plenty up for grabs this weekend - including a hefty prize pot.
The winner at Manchester Central will pocket a cool £150k, with another tidy £10k on offer for the tournament's highest break.
There were some emphatic wins in the last eight, with our four semi-finalists now confirmed.
Hawkins and Higgins are joined by Mark Selby and Ding Junhui, who play tomorrow.
World No1 Judd Trump is out, while Neil Robertson barely got on the table against a rampant Mark Selby.
After a week of high-class competition, we're down to the final four in Manchester.
Today it's the turn of Barry Hawkins and John Higgins to hit the baize in a mouthwatering sem-final.
And what a week it has been for The Hawk.
The 45-year-old is in the form of his life, dispatching a stunned Shaun Murphy 10-1 before beating World No1 Judd Trump without breaking sweat.
He'll face the Wizard of Wishaw today from 1pm, with Higgins looking in impressive form.
All eyes on this one then, our only match of the day. The countdown is on.
