The World Championship semi-final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy remains perfectly poised at 8-8 after a gripping second session at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The four-time champion Higgins started strongly, punishing a missed black from Murphy to take the opening frame with a break of 72.

Murphy responded brilliantly, crafting an 88 to level the match. Higgins then surged ahead with runs of 57 and 86, establishing a two-frame advantage. However, Murphy's resilience shone through as he capitalized on Higgins' error in the 15th frame, restoring parity before the session ended.

The Scot, who turns 51 on 18 May, is chasing his fifth world title. Murphy is attempting to end a 21-year wait since his sole Crucible crown in 2005. Their best-of-33 encounter resumes Friday at 19:00 BST. In the other semi-final, China's Wu Yize holds a 6-2 lead over Mark Allen heading into their afternoon session.