In a Crucible classic that had fans on the edge of their seats, John Higgins saw his dream of a ninth World Snooker Championship final slip away, falling 17-15 to a resurgent Shaun Murphy. The 43-year-old Englishman, who Higgins described as hitting the ball "like God," produced a masterclass of break-building to overcome the four-time champion.

The match was poised for a dramatic decider until Higgins, on a break of 50, fluffed a crucial black—a moment that gifted Murphy the chance to seal victory at his second attempt. It was a heartbreak for the 50-year-old Scot, who had been chasing history at the Crucible.

"The way Shaun hit the ball in that session was incredible," Higgins told BBC Sport. "He just hits it like God. I'm disappointed, but what can you do? As you get older, your action starts to go a little bit at the most extreme points of the match. But, take nothing away, Shaun was awesome, and he's got a great chance of going on to win it for a second time."

The final session began with Murphy trailing 13-11, but he stormed back with two total clearances to level the match. Higgins, showing the grit that has defined his career, chiseled out the next two frames to restore his two-frame lead. However, Murphy's fourth century of the match sparked another surge after the interval. As Higgins began to miss routine balls, the Englishman shifted into overdrive, winning the last four frames in a row to seal a memorable victory.

Murphy will now face China's Wu Yize in Sunday's final. Wu booked his spot after Northern Ireland's Mark Allen missed a simple black to win, falling 17-16 in a nail-biting semifinal.

"I just came out today knowing, if I got my chances, I could score," Murphy reflected. "At the interval, I was just saying to myself, 'You've done it before, now you can do it again.' But John Higgins—what a player and what a man. The harder it gets out there, the tougher he gets and the better he plays. If I'm half the player when I'm in my 50s, I'll be very proud."