But while Lee aims to have the last word against the seven-times World Champion he knows Hendry will spell big trouble when they meet at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
"Stephen is a quality player, one of the best," admits world number six Lee. "But I don't necessarily see it that way. "I've just got to concentrate on my own game," admits the Trowbridge-based professional. "If I can keep it tight early on then I've got every chance.
"I don't want to see Stephen running away with it," adds Lee, who needn't feel overawed over their impending match. He has beaten Hendry twice already this season and both times in overseas events.
He followed up a 6-1 drubbing in the Millennium Cup in Hong Kong last summer with a 6-4 victory in the semi-finals of the China Open last December. Unfortunately for Lee he couldn't build upon his excellent result when losing heavily to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Shanghai final.
A runner-up as well to John Higgins at the Regal Welsh Open in Cardiff three weeks ago, Lee says confidently: "It will be great to reach another final.
"And maybe I might even win it this time," predicts the 1998 Grand Prix champion.
"But there's no point in putting extra pressure on myself by looking too far ahead. I've had a couple of close calls this week and I guess I'm still lucky to be in the tournament." In fact, Lee has won both opening matches, against David Gray and another stablemate Nigel Bond, 5-4.
Hendry, 31, has had fewer problems whitewashing Adrian Gunnell 5-0 and then knocking out Benson & Hedges Masters champion Matthew Stevens 5-3 - helped by a couple of century breaks. If yesterday's opening quarter finals are any guide then Lee has every opportunity of making the last four of the £295,000 event.
World number one John Higgins and O'Sullivan started favourites to beat their respective opponents Marco Fu and Ken Doherty. Instead, 22-year-old Fu, the lowest ranked player left in the tournament, ended Higgins' interest thanks to a 5-3 success while O'Sullivan lost 5-2 against 1997 World Champion Doherty.
Fu, the 1998 Grand Prix runner-up, now plays Williams or Parrott while Doherty's reward for accounting for O'Sullivan is a match against Lee or Hendry.
Stablemates Williams and Hendry will have gained much pleasure from seeing Higgins lose so unexpectedly. It reduces the Scot's chances of retaining his world number one status at the end of the season.
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