Mark Allen admits winning the Northern Ireland Open would be "very special" as he attempted to keep lid on home expectation.
The Antrim cue star booked his place in Sunday's showpiece final with a 6-3 win over Ricky Walden at the Waterfront Hall.
He will now meet the winner of John Higgins and Yan Bingtao who meet in Saturday evening's second semi-final.
Allen will be backed by a vocal home crowd on Sunday, but is keen not to place too much pressure on his own shoulders heading into the decider.
"I'm trying not to build it up because then you put more pressure on yourself but to win in front of your home fans would be very, very special," Allen told Eurosport.
"I knew it was a big occasion but I tried to loosen myself up a bit after the interval by going for a few more shots."
Allen eased into a 2-0 lead against Walden but his English opponent levelled with breaks of 73 and 80.
The Northern Ireland man then rattled off three frames on the bounce before Walden pulled one back, but Allen held his nerve to win the ninth frame and complete his win.
The world number 11 is attempting to win his sixth ranking tournament title. His previous successes include lifting the Masters and Champion of Champions.
