World Snooker Championship 2026 recap – John Higgins hits back to level against Shaun Murphy

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World Snooker Championship 2026 live comments and streaming details. TNT Sports brings you frame-by-frame updates as John Higgins and Shaun Murphy meet in the semi-finals at the Crucible. Play begins at 13:00 and continues on Friday and Saturday.

‘Not certain everyone on the tour would have gone for that’ - Murphy sinks stunning pink

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Higgins and Murphy locked in tense battle

John Higgins produced a highest break of only 50, but still managed to hit back to draw level with Shaun Murphy at 4-4 in a tense World Championship semi-final in Sheffield.

With both men struggling to find the levels of form that carried them to the last four at the Crucible, it was 2005 winner Murphy who gained the early impetus with breaks of 68, 69 and 100 to lead 3-1.

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But four-time winner Higgins, at 50 bidding to become the oldest world champion of the modern era, showed all his battling qualities to deprive his opponent of an overnight lead by winning three of the next four, including a closing 50 in the final frame of a taut session.

Higgins has defeated former champions Ronnie O'Sullivan (13-12) and Neil Robertson (13-10) to reach the one-table set-up, with Murphy ending defending champion Zhao Xintong's hopes with a 13-10 quarter-final win on Wednesday.

The duo - who contested the 2009 final, with Higgins winning 18-9 - resume at 10:00 on Friday, with the third session scheduled for 19:00 in the evening before they play to a finish at 14:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Mark Allen and Wu Yize begin the second semi-final at 19:00 on Thursday night.

‘Not certain everyone on the tour would have gone for that’ - Murphy sinks stunning pink

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Higgins 3-4 Murphy (74-9)

Higgins showing all his class and battling skills to finish off this eighth frame. Higgins heading for the colours then to conclude the opening session. A 50 break is his highest of the session. They will resume at 10:00 on Friday morning.

Higgins 3-4 Murphy (52-9)

John slams home another long red right on cue. Looks like he could be levelling up this session at 4-4. Golden chance then to restore parity in this semi-final.

Higgins 3-4 Murphy (40-9)

Murphy with a blistering long red, but no colour to follow as he runs the white into baulk.

Higgins uses rest on top of spider to pot black

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Higgins 3-4 Murphy (40-9)

Would be a real result if Higgins can get out of this session all square at 4-4. Powers in pink. Followed by a red for another pink. Inching slowly towards 4-4 here. But he can't land nicely on the next red from the pink. Just safety to follow. 40 has been his highest break of the session. Which tells you a lot.

Higgins 3-4 Murphy (4-8)

Murphy right in among the ball, but isn't ideal on black and he misses by chipping the black against another red. John back at the table then in this final frame of the sesh.

Higgins 3-4 Murphy (0-7)

One more frame to come of this opening session. Murphy opening up the reds with a very aggressive safety shot. Higgins can't drop in a long red. But Shaun does. So has his chance then to make a few here.

Higgins 3-3 Murphy (15-71)

Not vintage levels of play, but looks like Murphy is going to regain the lead as a red disappears near a side cushion. 34 break to finish, and Higgins concedes. Dreadful positional shot from blue to red proving so costly.

Higgins 3-3 Murphy (15-33)

John clips a fine cut on a red into the left middle, but he loses the white seconds later. Left scratching his head. Looking at a plant now. But nowhere near the potting angle of two reds.

Higgins 3-3 Murphy (0-33)

Wastes little or no time in getting to work at the business end of the table, but the 2005 world champion misses the black off the spot on 33.

Higgins 3-3 Murphy (0-5)

Breaks of 68, 69 and 100 from Murphy, but John Higgins doing John Higgins things to stay in touch. Fine early red along top rail from Shaun to gain access to the balls.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (63-41)

Higgins operating with his C game out there, but is somehow level at 3-3. Go figure.

'That is beautiful' - Higgins slides red past pink to make pot

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Higgins 2-3 Murphy (57-41)

Mid-range green is left. And it is downed. Brilliant piece of cueing. Chance to level up at 3-3.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (43-41)

Deep screw on green to take the white down the table for final red. Bangs in the red along top cushion, but not ideally on the black. In goes black, and he is on the yellow.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (31-41)

Murphy into the lead in the frame then. Down to the final three reds in the frame. Can't land on a red from the blue around the angles. Safety is the option. John responds with a lovely long red.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (24-22)

Well, that is a shocker from Shaun. Looking right in among them, but misses pink to right centre. Higgins then jaws a pink to left centre seconds later. Bad, bad misses.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (23-6)

Another fine long red is dropped in by John. Followed by a brown. Chance to make some progress, but misses little clip on brown from close range. Shake of the head as he heads back to his chair. What is that miss going to cost Higgins?

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (18-0)

John with first prod at the balls in this sixth frame. Not exactly vintage Hig at the moment, but slowly playing his way into this semi-final.

Higgins 2-3 Murphy (0-0)

'One of the misses of the championship’ - Murphy fails to sink simple blue

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Higgins 1-3 Murphy (61-18)

Shaun clipping brown before reaching red as swerve shot fails. Gets there the second time, but leaves a long red for John, who drops in the red. Higgins sends home the black and is back to 3-2 adrift. 39-minute frame, but Higgins pockets it. Three more frames to come in this first session.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (47-18)

Higgins adding a few more points. Which is like money in the bank in this frame. Murphy leaves a red to right middle. And John slides it home. Lands nicely on black too. And a snooker will be played on the final red. A handy lead of 29 points.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (32-18)

Down to the final three reds with Murphy trying to work out how to free up the final reds at the top cushion. In goes blue, but reds remain safe. And so another safety is the order of the day.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (20-12)

As suspected, this is like potting balls through molasses. Somehow Murphy lands on a red to right middle after dropping in yellow to same pocket. In goes red, but he then misses an easy blue. Cue the groans.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (14-1)

A fluke on a red by John, but this frame could take a while to sort out. John drops in a tricky red, and pink is also on the spot too here. What can he compile here? A knock of 30 or 40 would be half decent.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (12-1)

John making a decent start to the fifth frame after Shaun missed a red trying to run safe off the edge of the object ball. But prefers safety to pushing boat out before Murphy flukes a red.

Higgins 1-3 Murphy (4-0)

Boys back out for a fifth frame in this first session. Higgins would dearly love to pick up at least two more frames this avo to stay in touch before two sessions are played on Friday morning and night.

Latest: Higgins 1-3 Murphy

'Not the cleanest' - Murphy benefits from new cloth as red wriggles in off the jaws

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Higgins 1-2 Murphy (0-100)

Supreme century for Shaun. Ton Up for 'The Magician'. He leads 3-1 to grab the early iniative in this semi-final, his 99th ton at the venue.

Higgins 1-2 Murphy (0-71)

Work to be done by John after the mid-session interval. Score probably reflecting the state of play early on with Murphy looking the likelier player to score so far.

Higgins 1-2 Murphy (0-43)

No question that Shaun is starting to settle here after a nervy first two and a bit frames. Brilliant pink is canned down the table to the yellow bag. Higgins forced to sit and suck this up. In went a long red, and on went Shaun.

Higgins 1-1 Murphy (24-97)

Looks like a done deal now then for the third frame as Murphy steps in to mop up. 69 clearance to wrap up the frame for a 2-1 lead.

Higgins 1-1 Murphy (24-28)

Murphy only reaching 28 in his latest visit to the table as Higgins returns to the table. Murphy seeing a white follow a red down a top pocket from distance. Higgins continues to accumulate points. But then breaks down on 18 with a testing red jawed.

Higgins 1-1 Murphy (0-0)

A tense start to this semi-final. Both men playing the occasion as much as the table. Another horrid safety shot by Higgins leaves a red over a top pocket.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (65-27)

Needing a colour and the final red to reach snookers required. In goes pink and he is on the red to top left-hand pocket. Buries it with some authority. Black is also downed, and battle is joined at 1-1. Murphy gives the nod.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (42-27)

Would you believe this? Higgins sticks a red over a top bag, but doesn't leave it and Murphy just fails to knock it in off another red. So an error by John might actually pay off here. Higgins needs to settle here. Missing a few easy balls. But a brilliant shot on brown develops a few more reds. Big chance to level us up.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (22-27)

Higgins will be fearing the worst here, but Murphy then misses a black off the spot. Three blacks off spot already missed in this match. All a bit tense.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (21-3)

John looking to get his cue arm working here as he powers in a black off the spot. White off two cushions for the next red. Higgins then misses an easy red by miles seconds later. Never seen that coming.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (0-2)

John goes all out for a red to the right centre, but doesn't drop and he leaves Murphy with a decent chance to get moving. But he can't roll in a tricky black. Higgins back at the baize sooner than he expected.

Higgins 0-1 Murphy (0-1)

Great long red by Shaun, but no colour to follow as black doesn't drop. Luckily for him, leaves nothing for Higgins to attack. Just safety to follow.

Higgins 0-0 Murphy (1-110)

68 from Shaun to finish off the first frame after opening with a 42. Quality finishing from Murphy in this first frame of a possible 33.

Higgins 0-0 Murphy (1-69)

Murphy showing off his qualities using the rest late in this first frame. Job is a good one for the Magician, who leads the Wizard 1-0 in the race to 17 and a final spot on Sunday and Monday.

Higgins 0-0 Murphy (1-48)

John with a majestic pot on a red to right middle, but then misses black off the spot. Which is not what he needs. Golden chance for Shaun to get this frame won at second time of asking.

Higgins 0-0 Murphy (0-42)

Shaun looking to get on the front foot. As you would expect from his aggressive style of attacking play. Quickly up to 42 as a red is drained down table to the yellow bag. John Higgins has seen all this before. And also in this event against Ronnie and Neil. But Shaun misses red to left middle. Wasn't easy, but doesn't drop.

Higgins 0-0 Murphy (0-1)

Off we go then for the first frame. Murphy hitting the third red off the break-off shot to get this one moving with plenty of reds opened up. Eight frames to be played in this opening session. Rousing reception for both men. Early error from Higgins in the safety response.

World Championship LIVE - Higgins v Murphy

Higgins leads the head-to-head record between the two men 14-11, including an 18-9 victory in the 2009 final. Murphy is bidding to join Higgins as only the 10th multiple champion in Crucible history since the celebrated venue first staged the event in 1977. Higgins appearing today in the 100th Crucible match of his golden 34-year career.

Multiple Crucible world champions

Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 7
Stephen Hendry (Sco) 7
Steve Davis (Eng) 6
Ray Reardon (Wal) 6
Mark Selby (Eng) 4
John Higgins (Sco) 4
Mark Williams (Wal) 3
John Spencer (Eng) 3
Alex Higgins (NI) 2

'What a match this has been' - Higgins celebrates victory over Robertson

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How Higgins could rival O'Sullivan and Hendry with title glory

Ronnie O’Sullivan saw his latest bid for a record eighth world title, an achievement that would see him overtake Stephen Hendry's 1990s Crucible haul, ended by John Higgins in an epic 13-12 defeat in the last 16 of the World Championship in Sheffield on Monday afternoon.

But the evergreen Scotsman has his own reasons for trying to claim a fifth title of his own at the sport's biggest event.

At the age of 50, Higgins will become the oldest world champion in history if he lifts the title this year, usurping fellow Class of '92 icon O’Sullivan by four years after his 18-13 final win over Judd Trump at the age of 46 in 2022.

How Higgins could rival O'Sullivan and Hendry with record world title

29/04/2026 at 12:06

'Clinical when the chances came' - Murphy completes win over Zhao

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World Championship LIVE - Higgins v Murphy

In terms of frames, we are only at the halfway stage of this 50th Crucible tournament with 35 frames required to lift the famous old pot on Monday night. John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Wu Yize and Mark Allen have won 36 frames to reach this stage. So you get the idea in the quest for the £500,000 first prize and a place in potting immortality. First up, is former champions Higgins and Murphy this afternoon before Wu and Allen get going this evening. Boys on the baize imminently.