O’Connor has been brilliant this week in Yushan, beating Judd Trump early on and then turning in a scintillating performance to beat Shaun Murphy 5-1 in the quarters.
The 29-year-old made breaks of 135, 100, 66 and 132 to get the better of the in-form Magician and set up a semi with Ali Carter.
No easy task, but O’Connor came through 6-3 on Friday and is into only his second ranking final having made the 2022 Scottish Open showpiece.
With a very tough run to get there, it is certainly an upset that O’Connor is in Saturday’s final, but Higgins is a big fan of his game, as he said after edging out Zak Surety 6-5 in his semi.
On the prospect of facing O’Connor or Carter, he said: ‘Listen, two of the best cueists in the game, that’s what I think, Ali and Joe. Such great cueists.
‘Joe’s playing amazing. It’ll be a tough game whoever comes through. Two great players.’
O’Connor had a quiet first half of the season but looked good at the recent Welsh Open where he made the quarter-finals, losing to Carter.
Asked whether he feels like a better player than the one that reached the Scottish Open final in 2022, where he lost out to Gary Wilson, he was unequivocal.
‘Yes I do,’ he said. ‘I feel more of a complete player, a lot more consistent now and my scoring has definitely improved. Hopefully I can continue and who knows what will happen in the final.’
The Leicester cueman is known for his unruffled, calm nature around the table and in life in general, which he says is no act.
‘99.9 per cent of the time I don’t really feel much,’ he said. ‘I try and focus that much on the next shot in front of me that I don’t leave room for nerves to creep in.
‘I concentrate on what I need to do and what I’ve got to do on the shot and it takes care of itself.’
As O’Connor bids for his first ranking title, Higgins will be battling to win the 32nd of his epic career, but the first since 2021.
Asked if it is harder work at 49 years old than it was in the past, Higgins said: ‘No. It’s not hard work is it, playing this game. There’s a lot harder things in life. I feel great. Delighted.’
However, he is disappointed that his wife Denise will miss the final, only jetting over to Asia to join her husband for next week’s World Grand Prix.
‘It’s just a shame, my missus is coming to Hong Kong and she’s going to be flying tomorrow while I’ll be playing the final,’ he said. ‘We didn’t work that out right, she’s getting on a flight today to Hong Kong, so hopefully when she lands I’ll have a chance of winning the title.’
Higgins has not had as serene a run to the final as O’Connor, needing deciding frames to beat Surety in the semis and Zhou Yuelong in the fourth round.
After a number of stinging defeats in deciding frames in recent seasons, he feels that perhaps that first narrow victory has helped him conquer some demons.
‘I have been on the receiving end of so many deciders in the last few years. Maybe beating Zhou Yuelong 5-4 this week helped me because I was able to keep myself under control today,’ he said.
‘There was pressure at the end and I still had to go in and pot the balls.’
He knows it will be another tough task against the man he rates so highly and has lost to twice in the past.
World number 13, Higgins, takes on 39th-ranked O’Connor over a best-of-19 at 6am and 11.30am UK time on Saturday.
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