John Higgins proved once again why he's one of snooker's most resilient competitors, battling back from 3-1 down to level the score at 4-4 against Shaun Murphy in the opening session of their World Championship semi-final at the iconic Crucible Theatre.

The four-time world champion looked far from his fluent best, with a highest break of just 50 in the eighth frame. It seemed the grueling effects of his late-night quarter-final victory over Neil Robertson were still lingering—Higgins was still at the Crucible past midnight on Wednesday, and the fatigue showed in an error-strewn performance littered with missed easy pots.

At 51 years old, Higgins is the oldest semi-finalist since Ray Reardon in 1985, but age hasn't dulled his fighting spirit. Time and again in this tournament, he's tapped into his legendary resolve and granite matchplay qualities, making him a dangerous opponent even when not at his best.

Murphy, the 2005 world champion, looked in complete control early on. The Englishman fired off impressive runs of 68, 69, and a century break of 100 to storm into a 3-1 lead at the mid-session interval. At that point, the world number eight seemed poised to build a commanding overnight advantage.

But snooker is a game of momentum, and Murphy's loose shots opened the door for Higgins. The Scot grabbed two scrappy frames to level at 3-3, then showed his class with a 40 break and a half-century in the final frame to ensure he wasn't trailing at the end of the session—a first for him in this year's tournament.

The best-of-33 match resumes Friday at 10:00 BST, with the other semi-final between China's Wu Yize and Northern Ireland's Mark Allen starting Thursday at 19:00. For Higgins, this 100th match at snooker's most prestigious venue is far from over, and if history is any guide, the Wizard of Wishaw still has plenty of magic left.