Higgins level with Murphy and Wu leads Allen in semis

John Higgins produced a battling display to fight back from 3-1 down to draw level at 4-4 against Shaun Murphy in the opening session of their World Championship semi-final in Sheffield.

Meanwhile, Wu Yize opened up a commanding 6-2 advantage over Mark Allen, in a session that was disrupted by a power outage at the Crucible Theatre.

Television coverage was disrupted for about 15 minutes, with the incident occurring midway through the third frame of the match.

Once Allen had completed a break of 91 to take the frame, the players were forced to briefly leave the auditorium until the issue was resolved.

The television cameras had been in full working order to witness a far from fluent Higgins compile a highest break of 50 as he won the eighth frame to restore parity with Murphy.

For most of Thursday afternoon, four-time champion Higgins appeared to still be feeling the effects of his late-night quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson.

Higgins, who turns 51 in May and is the oldest semi-finalist since Ray Reardon back in 1985, was still at the Crucible after midnight on Wednesday and it told as he failed to make a number of easy pots in an error-strewn showing.

However, not for the first time in the tournament, he exhibited all his resolve and granite matchplay qualities that makes him such a dangerous opponent.

Their best-of-33 encounter resumes on Friday at 10:00 BST.

England’s Murphy, who won the world title in 2005, looked in total control when he enjoyed runs of 68, 69 and 100 to move 3-1 ahead at the mid-session interval.

At that stage the world number eight appeared to be on the way to constructing a significant overnight advantage, but he too was guilty of several loose shots that allowed Higgins a route back in his 100th match at snooker’s most prestigious venue.

The Scot took two scrappy frames to get back to 3-3 and then responded again, with a 40 and a half-century in the final frame, to ensure he was not behind at the end of an opening session for the first time in this year’s tournament.

On Thursday evening the standard of break building was ratcheted up several gears, particularly by Wu.

The 22-year-old from China exhibited few signs of nerves on his bow at the single-table stage, settling immediately with breaks of 77 and 55 before Allen responded by almost making a century – despite being aware that something had gone amiss with the television coverage.

The Northern Irishman was also competing when protesters stopped play in 2023, however he did not enjoy as successful an evening this time around.

Allen, who is making his third appearance in the last four, was largely confined to his chair for the next three frames as Wu rattled in breaks of 57, 78 and 64.

And, when he missed a black off its spot in the final frame of the session, he was ruthlessly punished by a player that refuses very little and is increasingly looking like a future world champion in the making.

The match continues at 14:30 on Friday, with 17 the target for victory.

Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on BBC Two

In a funny way, Shaun will be not too disappointed, because he’s not played well and he’s still not behind.

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.

It has to get better than it was today, it wasn’t a great session. John’s cue ball was pretty loose for him and Shaun missed too many easy balls.

Both players will definitely improve. We have seen throughout the championship John Higgins gets better as the match goes on, and it is something he has done his whole career.

Shaun Murphy will be disappointed after the heights he hit against Zhao Xintong.