Murphy Beats Higgins 17-15 to Reach Snooker Final 2026

Shaun Murphy beat John Higgins 17-15 at the Crucible to reach the snooker final 2026 and his fifth World Snooker Championship final. Higgins had started the final session 13-11 behind, but Murphy won the last four frames to take the match.

Murphy Turns the Match

Murphy twice erased a two-frame deficit in the final session before Higgins briefly moved back in front. After the interval, Murphy made his fourth century of the match and kept the pressure on until the finish.

The English player handled the closing stretch better from that point. He completed two total clearances to level the match, then closed with four straight frames as Higgins faltered on a black while on a break of 50.

Higgins Misses Final Nine

The loss denied Higgins a ninth World Snooker Championship final and ended a run that had still been alive deep into the evening. He had been chasing that milestone while trying to hold off a player he described as a four-time champion.

Murphy, who said, "I just came out today knowing, if I got my chances, I could score," will now face Wu Yize in Sunday's final. Wu beat Mark Allen 17-16 after Allen missed a simple black, setting up Murphy's next test at the Crucible.

Wu Yize Awaits Murphy

The final now brings Murphy into a match with Wu Yize after a semi-final that only settled at 17-16. Murphy's route there came from a finish that changed twice in the final session, then swung for good when he took the last four frames in a row.

For Higgins, the match ended one frame short of another final. For Murphy, it delivered a fifth Crucible final and another chance to add to his record at the venue.