Snooker: John Higgins is stunned by winning run

John Higgins faces Antrim's Mark Allen in the last four of the UK Championship in Telford today and admits his form on his return from a six-month ban has surprised even him.

The three-time world champion, who won last month's European Tour Players Championship event in Germany, said: "It's beyond my wildest dreams to have won so many matches since I've come back," he said. I'm feeling great about my game."

In last night's concluding quarter-finals, a high-class opening session could not separate world champion Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy as they were locked at 4-4. Both players matched one another frame for frame once Robertson had been pegged back having won the first two frames. Mark Williams led surprise package Mark Joyce 4-0 on the other table only to be pegged back to 4-3 by the Walsall potter.