John Higgins Levels 4-4 in Snooker Semi Finals
John Higgins and Shaun Murphy finished Thursday’s snooker semi finals level at 4-4 after the first session of their World Snooker Championship 2026 match. Higgins took the last frame with a break of 50, leaving the semi-final balanced heading into Friday’s two sessions.
Higgins Closes the Session
Murphy had already made the biggest single scoring visit of the session with a century in frame four, but Higgins pulled back to square the match when he won the eighth frame. The final frame was the one that reset the contest, and the 50 break gave him the level score after a session that swung both ways.
The semi-final is being played over 33 frames, with the first player to 17 advancing, so an 8-8 start after the opening session would have left little margin for error. Instead, both players left Thursday with the match locked together and neither able to put early distance between them.
Friday Sessions for Higgins
The pair are scheduled to return at 10:00 BST on Friday before coming back again at 19:00 BST for a second session the same day. Their semi-final is then due to finish on Saturday at 14:30 BST.
That schedule matters because this is not a short sprint to the finish. Three sessions still remain in the match, and the next stretch will decide whether Higgins can build on the frame he took at the end of Thursday or whether Murphy turns the century he made in frame four into a stronger position.
Murphy and the Second Semi-Final
Stephen Hendry said, “In a funny way, Shaun will be not too disappointed because he's not played well and he's still not behind.” He added, “John might have played better and then Shaun might have been punished for his mistakes, but he's not been punished severely and it's honours even.”
John Parrott was blunter about the standard, saying, “It won't go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest sessions we've ever seen.” He added, “You can buy me a hat and I guarantee I'll eat it on air if it's not a better session tomorrow.”
Wu Yize and Mark Allen are due to begin the second semi-final at 19:00 BST, with eight frames scheduled for their opening session. For Higgins and Murphy, the immediate task is simpler: carry the level score into Friday and try to force the match onto their own terms before Saturday’s finish.
