John Higgins says winning a fifth world title would be his greatest snooker feat as he closes in on another Crucible final.

The Scot went from 5-3 ahead of Barry Hawkins to build a 10-6 overnight lead in their best-of-33-frames semi-final at the World Championship. He has landed world titles in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011 but feared his days as a contender for the biggest prizes in snooker were over.

“I’m going to be turning 42 in May so it would be my best ever achievement,” Higgins said of the prospect of winning again.

There was a moment of controversy in the ninth frame of their match when Hawkins twice fouled when attempting a precise safety escape before sinking a tough red with his next shot.

Higgins looked aggrieved, possibly thinking the white had not been replaced in the correct position. The referee, Paul Collier, defended himself, saying he had used video technology correctly, and Hawkins later wrote on Twitter: “Don’t worry Paul. I could always see enough to pot that red!! Thought it was too risky to take on until I was forced into it!!”

Higgins believes he will be facing one of the greats if he and Mark Selby are the players going head to head for the title on Sunday and Monday. The defending champion, Selby, was pegged back to 12-12 on Friday night by China’s Ding Junhui in a gripping last-four clash between the players who contested last year’s final.

There is no denying Higgins’s place among snooker’s elite, and he would go second only to fellow Scot Stephen Hendry on the all-time list of ranking event winners should he lift the trophy.

Higgins is tied on 28 with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis, eight adrift of Hendry, while world number one Selby has catching up to do after landing 11 so far. But 41-year-old Higgins feels defending Crucible champion Selby belongs in the highest class, saying: “He’s one of the best who’s ever played the game.

“He’s got a great all-round game, and it’s just testament to him that he’s winning a lot of events and he wants to keep on winning. You’ve got to give him every credit, he’s a terrific competitor.”

Selby looked set to carry a lead over Ding into the third and final day of their contest, especially so when a clutch clearance of 45 nudged him 12-10 ahead.

China’s Ding Junhui plays a shot during the World Championship Snooker semi-final match against Mark Selby. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

It briefly looked like a key moment in the match but the Sheffield-based Ding, who in the morning had made a 139 break, fired consecutive runs of 117 and 128 to draw level overnight. Typically Selby would take such a setback on the chin.

The 33-year-old from Leicester said going into the match: “You know in this tournament you’re not going to be able to play well in every single session, it’s more or less impossible. So you need to be able to scrap it out and I’ve shown in the past I can do that.”

Their semi-final wraps up on Saturday afternoon, with Higgins and Hawkins due to contest morning and evening sessions.