John Higgins edging towards record-equalling ninth Crucible final at World Snooker Championship

Higgins took the final two frames of the third session on Friday night in his semi-final encounter with Shaun Murphy at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to carve out a 13-11 overnight advantage heading into their concluding session on Saturday afternoon. The target is 17.

Meeting for the third time on the sport’s grandest stage - with the head-to-head score being one-one - the last four contest had all the hallmarks of being a keenly contested affair, and it was exactly that throughout the opening two sessions as the contestants refused to be separated at the end of each act.

Murphy did most of the scoring during their opening session on Thursday afternoon - highlighted by a break of exactly 100 - but four-time world champion Higgins took the final frame with his first half-century of the tie, a run of 50, to level.

Roles reversed when they returned Friday morning as it was the 2005 Crucible triumphant Murphy who struggled but kept in touch depositing the last two frames from 8-6 down to restore parity.

On resumption in the evening - their session was delayed due to the ‘record-breaking’ finish between Wu Yize and Mark Allen in the afternoon slot - Murphy took the lead for the first time since 4-3 with the aid of a 60, but 33-time ranking event winner Higgins (55 break, frame 18) went back-to-back to go back in front at 10-9.

In what was the most fluent of the sessions, so far, Murphy squared up proceedings again with an 82, he then did so again in frame 22 with a 105 after Higgins had made a 63 in the 21st following the mid-session interval.

That three-figure effort from 'The Magician' was his 100th century at the Crucible - becoming only the fifth player to achieve that impressive break-building feat.

But Higgins managed to create clear space between himself and his opponent before the night was out, finishing strong with runs of 70 and 101 across the final two frames for 13-11.

Scottish ace Higgins - who is set to turn 51-years-old later this month - would be the oldest world finalist of all-time should get past Murphy. It would also tee him up a ninth Crucible final, drawing him level with compatriot Stephen Hendry.

The first of Higgins’ world titles arrived in 1998, his last was in 2011. Should ‘The Wizard of Wishaw’ claim snooker’s ultimate prize for a fifth time, he would be the first to lift the iconic trophy in four different decades (90s, 00s, 10s, 20s).

However, he still has a lot of work to do on Saturday.

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