Higgins Builds Slender Semi-Final Lead Over Murphy
John Higgins has taken a 13-11 lead over Shaun Murphy heading into the final session of their World Championship semi-final at the Crucible Theatre. The four-time world champion, who will turn 51 later this month, is aiming to become the oldest ever Crucible champion and reach a record-equalling ninth final in Sheffield.
Throughout the tournament, Higgins had not led at the end of any session until this crucial moment. He began the day strongly but was repeatedly pegged back by 2005 champion Murphy. However, Higgins ended the session on a high note by compiling his first century break of the contest to gain the advantage.
The concluding session of their best-of-33 frames match is scheduled to commence on Saturday at 14:30 BST.
Match Progress and Key Moments
Resuming the match at 8-8, Murphy struck first on Friday evening with a break of 60, taking the lead for the first time since the seventh frame. Higgins responded immediately with breaks of 44 and 55, then secured the following frame by laying a snooker on the brown ball.
Murphy produced a superb break of 82 to ensure the players were level at the mid-session interval. The pair then exchanged the next two frames, showcasing dramatic and high-quality snooker. Higgins compiled a break of 63, followed by Murphy’s century break off Higgins’ break-off shot.
At 12-12, the session appeared destined for a tie, with both players demonstrating strong resolve. However, Higgins elevated his performance in the final frames, crafting a run of 70 before closing the evening with an excellent 101 break.
Expert Analysis on Higgins’ Performance
"It's what John Higgins has done in every match this championship - he's got better as each match has gone on and played his best snooker near the end of the match. He knows when the business end of these games are and he just finds gears, that's what he's always done."
— Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, speaking on BBC Two
"That's the best John Higgins has looked in this semi-final. Since the interval that's breaks of 63, 70 and a century - clinical, one-frame snooker, that's what you want at this stage of the match."
— Former World Championship semi-finalist Joe Perry
