World Snooker Championship 2026: John Higgins & Shaun Murphy locked at 8-8 after second session of semi-final

The World Championship semi-final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy was leveled at 8-8 after a fascinating second session at the Crucible Theater in Sheffield.

Unlike the opening game on Wednesday, Higgins looked the stronger of the two players in the early exchanges.

The four-time world champion, who turns 51 on May 18, brutally punished Murphy’s miss to take the opening frame with a 72-point lead.

Looking to end the 21-year wait for his second Crucible crown, Englishman Murphy responded perfectly with a score of 88, making it 6-6 in two of the next three frames.

After Murphy failed to convert a set-up to the right-center, his error was exploited once again as Higgins took the lead with a 57-run run.

The Scot then took a two-frame advantage with a superb 86-point break behind a brave long red.

But Murphy took the 15th frame hard and turned the tables on his opponent to restore parity after Higgins missed a difficult red and the rest was in the left cushion.

The best-of-33 matches will continue on Friday at 19:00 BST, with eight more frames to be played in the third of four sessions.

Chinese Wu Yize took a 6-2 lead against Mark Allen in the second session of their last four matches, which will start at 14:30 GMT.