World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – Updates, results as Shaun Murphy beats John Higgins to secure a final spot

React to this story

World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates. Shaun Murphy ultimately defeated John Higgins 17-15 to secure a spot in the final of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Murphy will take on either Wu Yize or Mark Allen in the final on Sunday and Monday.

'A classic battle' - Murphy wraps up win over Higgins to reach final

Video credit: TNT Sports

Murphy finds magic form to reach final

Shaun Murphy twice recovered from a two-frame deficit on Saturday to beat John Higgins 17-15 and reach the World Championship final.

Murphy made consecutive centuries at the start of play, a 132 and 127, to level the scoreline at 13-13.

Shanghai Masters

Trump whitewashes Higgins, Wu beats Murphy on final ball in Shanghai

30/07/2026 at 19:19

The Magician was first with his hand on the table for the next two frames, but lost them both, with Higgins making an 88 to restore his lead going into the interval.

Murphy came back out and made another century, 105, and a break of 78 to restore parity once more.

Higgins generally won the tight frames in the match, but would lose the last two.

In the final frame, Higgins made a half-century before leaving a black in the jaws.

Murphy looked like clearing up but then, uncharacteristically, missed the final red with the rest. A poor safety from Higgins left Murphy with another chance, which he took to reach Sunday's showpiece.

Murphy will play the winner of Wu Yize and Mark Allen, who resume their match at 11-11 from 19:00 UK time.

Higgins 15-17 Murphy

Murphy is in the final!

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (50-43*)**

Murphy stuns the yellow in and the required clearance to the pink should be a formality now.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (50-36*)**

Higgins, left in a snooker, plays his shot too hard and leaves Murphy another chance with the rest. And this time he puts it away. The frame should be his now.

Higgins 15-16 Murphy (50-35)

Murphy misses the last red with the rest. No one saw that coming! He is lucky to leave the red safe. But is left in a snooker by Higgins.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (50-35*)**

Murphy is a bit straight on the penultimate red, sitting on the baulk cushion, and can only leave himself a difficult brown. But he puts it away with aplomb.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (50-1*)**

Higgins leaves the black in the jaws! He has opened the reds up and Murphy now has a real chance to clear up.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (39*-0)**

Higgins breaks up the reds perfectly off the blue, is on a red with a couple more in the open. You fancy him forcing a decider now.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (17*-0)**

Higgins stuns in a mid-range pink and now looks in a good positition to make a substantial break.

**Higgins 15-16 Murphy (1*-0)**

A long safety battle ends with Murphy leaving a cut into the left middle for Higgins.

Higgins 15-16 Murphy

That mini-break was only of 38 but was more important than any as it takes him a frame from the final.

**Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-42*)**

He is putting nearly everything away now Murphy. He slots in a mid-range red, setting himself up on the black.

**Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-31*)**

Higgins so close with a red into the right middle, but it clips the near jaw and goes over the green pocket giving Murphy an easy return to the table.

Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-26)

Murphy plays safe rather than taking on a difficult long pot.

**Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-25*)**

Another difficult pot from Murphy, this time cutting a red in the pack back into the left middle, to keep the break going.

**Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-17*)**

Many wouldn't have taken a red on, glued to the left cushion, but Murphy does and sets himself ont he black.

Higgins 15-15 Murphy (8-1)

Higgins doesn't get close to potting a black from its spot. Even with a four-time world champion nerves kick in.

**Higgins 15-15 Murphy (5*-1)**

Murphy pots the red but misses the kind of long diagonal blue he usually gobbles up. Another chance for Higgins now.

Higgins 15-15 Murphy (4-0)

Higgins flukes a red in the first shot after Murphy's good break. Higgins rolls the green into the middle but misses a tough red cut into the blind bottom-left pocket.

Higgins 15-15 Murphy

A break of 78 levels the scores. We effectively now have a best of three to see who reaches the final.

**Higgins 15-14 Murphy (3-65*)**

Higgins now requires snookers and we look like being level once more.

**Higgins 15-14 Murphy (3-31*)**

Playing in a methodical manner, Murphy is expertly making his way through the reds. All but a couple look in decent positions to pot.

**Higgins 15-14 Murphy (3-1*)**

Higgins elects not to go for a pot and plays a poor safety, leaving Murphy a red into the right middle, which he puts away. An attractive looking table for Murphy to attack now.

Higgins 15-14 Murphy (3-0)

Murphy narrowly misses cutting a red into the left middle, hitting both jaws. Nothing is left on though.

Higgins 15-14 Murphy (3-0)

Murphy misses a long pot after Higgins' break and leaves a pot on for Higgins which with a touch of swerve he puts away. Higgins then goes into the pack off the yellow but catches the pink and leaves nothing on.

Higgins 15-14 Murphy

The break ends at 105 but a timely reminder to Higgins that the fight has not gone out of the 2005 world champion.

**Higgins 15-13 Murphy (0-105*)**

Another century from Murphy. His third of the afternoon.

**Higgins 15-13 Murphy (0-71*)**

Murphy has now sealed the frame. Again he has started a session exactly how he wanted to.

**Higgins 15-13 Murphy (0-46*)**

A fine break so far from Murphy. He needs to make sure he wins the frame in this visit. He has opened the table up nicely.

**Higgins 15-13 Murphy (0-1*)**

Murphy cuts a red in to be first on the table. He was for all of the four in the first session, but won only the opening two.

Higgins 15-13 Murphy

Higgins misses a long red, but the 88 break ensures he goes off for the interval two frames clear of Shaun Murphy - and two frames from victory.

**Higgins 14-13 Murphy (72*-11)**

What a blow to Murphy to level with two centuries and then make some simple errors contributing to the loss of the next two frames.

**Higgins 14-13 Murphy (60*-11)**

Higgins goes into the pack and pots a red into the left middle, but leaves the cue ball on the right cushion. He pots the black though, and the next tough red. The frame should soon be his.

'The resilience of this man' - Higgins clips in red to keep pressure on Murphy

Video credit: TNT Sports

**Higgins 14-13 Murphy (30*-11)**

A smooth break of 30 thus far from Higgins and he will need just a couple of subtle nudges of the pack to open up more than enough to win the frame in this visit.

Higgins 14-13 Murphy (0-11)

After a couple of incredible pots, Murphy misses the simplest of reds. Higgins with the chance to get in front in this crucial frame now.

**Higgins 14-13 Murphy (0-5*)**

"It doesn't get much better than that." The word of 1986 world champion Joe Johnson. A smooth long straight pot with a lot of backspin to get back to the baulk cushion. The brown gets him back to the business end of the table.

Higgins 14-13 Murphy

After a quick first two frames, Higgins wins a 34-minute one to go back in front.

**Higgins 13-13 Murphy (62*-15)**

Murphy with a good red and black, but then he leaves the next red in the jaws. The frame is Higgins' now.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (61-7)

Higgins misses getting out of a snooker by a long way. Murphy then misses a pot but he leaves the red safe.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (61-3)

Higgins earns a foul himself from a snooker, but fails to put the frame beyond doubt, missing a blue. Murphy continues with the balls well placed to get snookers.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (57-3)

Incredible miss from Murphy. He went to pot the yellow over its pocket but hit a red on the way. Amazing. He now needs a snooker.

'Of all the things that could have happened' - Murphy's wild error helps Higgins take frame

Video credit: TNT Sports

**Higgins 13-13 Murphy (53-3*)**

Higgins misses a long red and opens up another couple, while also bringing the black into play. Frame on!

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (53-2)

Once more Murphy leaves an easy pot on for Higgins, but he doesn't get position on the blue to get on the next red. He puts the blue ball on the cushion to stimy Murphy's chances of a clearance. He is doing it in instalments.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (52-2)

The table is a difficult one to clear up from and Higgins again has to play safe keeping Murphy in the frame.

**Higgins 13-13 Murphy (35*-2)**

Murphy fails to get out of the snooker, hitting the pink, and he leaves a red on for Higgins to potentially win the frame.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (28-2)

Higgins loses position so he has to play a safety to the baulk cushion. He sits down disappointed.

**Higgins 13-13 Murphy (6*-2)**

Higgins with his first pot of the morning. Cutting in a ball near the bottom cushion from the baulk end and he gets on the blue to give himself a chance of a break.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (0-2)

Another good pot from Murphy and again it leads to Higgins being put in a snooker behind a baulk colour.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (0-1)

Murphy with a stabbing shot getting spin off the side cushion to get around a couple of reds and pot the one over the pocket. He has no position on a colour though.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy (0-0)

Higgins played safe to a red on the bottom cushion. Murphy missed a tough attempt at the red, leaving it in the jaws, but snookering Higgins with the black.

Higgins 13-13 Murphy

A 132 then a 127. Incredible play from Murphy.

'Faultless' - Murphy makes century to match Hendry's record of 777 tons

Video credit: TNT Sports

**Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-101*)**

A second successive century from Murphy. This is incredible play. That is his 777th career century, tying Stephen Hendry.

**Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-67*)**

Murphy loves a break shot and he nails a red down the left-hand side of the table to ensure wee will be level at 13 each.

**Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-41*)**

Murphy needs a long green to keep the break going and does so with a fantastic pot, leaving himself in perfect position for the next red.

**Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-14*)**

Higgins rolled a ball into the pack from a snooker, but left a long red into the green pocket which Murphy puts away.

Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-6)

Murphy hits the ball a little too hard and finishes snookered by the pink on the ball he intended to pot.

**Higgins 13-12 Murphy (0-1*)**

Another fine pot from Murphy, just finishing on the right side of the blue.

Higgins 13-12 Murphy

You cannot get a better start than that. A total clearance of 132 shows Higgins that Murphy means business.

'The perfect start' - Murphy caps century with cheeky double

Video credit: TNT Sports

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-115*)**

A fantastic double of the brown keeps the break going.

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-105*)**

Murphy rolled a red along the bottom cushion to ensure he reaches three figures.

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-71*)**

Murphy rolls in a red, cutting into a blind pocket and now has the first frame of the afternoon. He will now look to up the statement made with a century.

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-56*)**

A fine break so far from Murphy. He has a half-century but needs to get over the line in the frame - which he hasn't done on too many occasions in this match.

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-9*)**

Murphy with another fine pot, this one a three-ball plant. He finished in position on the black to build a break.

'Sometimes you have got to take risks' - Murphy pulls off audacious three-ball plant

Video credit: TNT Sports

**Higgins 13-11 Murphy (0-1*)**

Murphy with the first pot of the session, a fine long pot. And he then leaves Higgins a snooker behind the brown.

'What a shot' - Murphy opens final session with blistering long pot

Video credit: TNT Sports

We are underway...

These opening frames are very important for Shaun Murphy. If he gets them we may go down to the wire. If Higgins pulls further ahead, it could be an early end.