2026 World Snooker Championship: Semi-Finals Poised on a Knife-Edge as Higgins Leads Murphy and Allen Levels with Wu
Day 15 at the Crucible: Where the Tournament Stands
The 50th edition of the World Snooker Championship has reached its most compelling juncture, with both semi-finals delicately balanced heading into the final sessions on Saturday 2 May. At the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, John Higgins holds an overnight advantage of 13–11 against Shaun Murphy, while the second contest between Mark Allen and Wu Yize sits level at 7–7 — setting up an afternoon and evening of high-stakes snooker that could produce either a first-time finalist in the modern era or a familiar face contesting a third or fourth world title.
Higgins vs Murphy: The Veteran Routes to the Final
Higgins, seeded fifth, has been one of the most consistent performers throughout the fortnight. His route to the last four included a hard-fought 13–12 second-round victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan — a match that required him to recover from the brink on multiple occasions — before a composed 13–10 quarter-final dismissal of fourth seed Neil Robertson. According to data from CueTracker, Higgins has now appeared in more World Championship semi-finals than any other active player, and a win here would extend that record further.
Murphy, meanwhile, has arguably been the tournament's form player. The eighth seed accounted for ninth seed Xiao Guodong 13–3 in the second round — a scoreline that barely reflected the dominance on show — before overcoming top seed Zhao Xintong 13–10 in the quarter-finals, a result that eliminated the tournament favourite and signalled Murphy's genuine intent. His 11 frames in the current semi-final represent a solid platform, though facing Higgins with a two-frame deficit across a best-of-33 contest leaves limited room for error in the final session.
Allen vs Wu Yize: History in the Balance
The second semi-final carries its own weight of historical significance. Mark Allen, the 14th seed, has reached the last four at the Crucible for the first time since 2022, having navigated a tricky draw that included a 13–9 second-round win over third seed Kyren Wilson and an 13–11 quarter-final over Barry Hawkins. Allen has never won the World Championship, and at 38, opportunities at this level remain precious.
Facing him is Wu Yize, the 10th seed, who has produced arguably the most striking results of the tournament. Wu dispatched seventh seed Mark Selby 13–11 in the second round before eliminating Hossein Vafaei 13–8 in the quarter-finals — Vafaei himself having caused a major upset by beating second seed Judd Trump 13–12 in the second round. Should Wu progress to the final, it would represent one of the most significant achievements by a Chinese player at the Crucible in the sport's history, and a genuine landmark moment for snooker's growing profile in China.
With the match poised at 7–7 after three sessions, the afternoon session beginning at 10:00 BST and the evening session at 19:00 BST on Saturday will determine which player walks out as a finalist. Statistically, level semi-finals at this stage of the best-of-33 format tend to be decided by momentum shifts rather than sustained dominance — a single purple patch across three or four frames can frequently prove decisive (CueTracker historical semi-final data).
The Road to the Final: Full Results Summary
The table below summarises all completed results through to the semi-final stage of the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
| Round | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Zhao Xintong (1) v Liam Highfield | 10–7 |
| R1 | Ding Junhui (16) v David Gilbert | 10–5 |
| R1 | Xiao Guodong (9) v Zhou Yuelong | 10–6 |
| R1 | Shaun Murphy (8) v Fan Zhengyi | 10–9 |
| R1 | John Higgins (5) v Ali Carter | 10–7 |
| R1 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) v He Guoqiang | 10–2 |
| R1 | Chris Wakelin (13) v Liam Pullen | 10–6 |
| R1 | Neil Robertson (4) v Pang Junxu | 10–6 |
| R1 | Kyren Wilson (3) v Stan Moody | 10–7 |
| R1 | Mark Allen (14) v Zhang Anda | 10–6 |
| R1 | Barry Hawkins (11) v Matthew Stevens | 10–4 |
| R1 | Mark Williams (6) v Antoni Kowalski | 10–4 |
| R1 | Mark Selby (7) v Jak Jones | 10–2 |
| R1 | Wu Yize (10) v Lei Peifan | 10–2 |
| R1 | Si Jiahui (15) v Hossein Vafaei | 3–10 |
| R1 | Judd Trump (2) v Gary Wilson | 10–5 |
| R2 | Zhao Xintong (1) v Ding Junhui (16) | 13–9 |
| R2 | Shaun Murphy (8) v Xiao Guodong (9) | 13–3 |
| R2 | John Higgins (5) v Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) | 13–12 |
| R2 | Neil Robertson (4) v Chris Wakelin (13) | 13–7 |
| R2 | Mark Allen (14) v Kyren Wilson (3) | 13–9 |
| R2 | Barry Hawkins (11) v Mark Williams (6) | 13–9 |
| R2 | Wu Yize (10) v Mark Selby (7) | 13–11 |
| R2 | Hossein Vafaei v Judd Trump (2) | 13–12 |
| QF | Shaun Murphy (8) v Zhao Xintong (1) | 13–10 |
| QF | John Higgins (5) v Neil Robertson (4) | 13–10 |
| QF | Mark Allen (14) v Barry Hawkins (11) | 13–11 |
| QF | Wu Yize (10) v Hossein Vafaei | 13–8 |
| SF | John Higgins (5) v Shaun Murphy (8) | 13–11* |
| SF | Mark Allen (14) v Wu Yize (10) | 7–7* |
* Denotes match in progress. Scores correct as of end of Day 14 sessions. Source: snooker.org / CueTracker.
Prize Money
The winner of the 2026 World Snooker Championship will collect the top prize from a total prize fund that reflects the tournament's status as the sport's most prestigious event. Full prize money breakdowns are available via the official World Snooker Tour website at snooker.org.
