Semi Finals (best of 33 frames):

John Higgins bt Stephen Maguire 17/15,  Mark Selby bt Shaun Murphy 17/16.

NZ Herald Press Release: Saturday 05 May

Shaun Murphy led Mark Selby 5-3 in the semi-finals at the close of play yesterday.  John Higgins and Stephen Maguire were tied at 4-4 after the opening session of the other semi-final.

Murphy, the 2005 Champion, looked the more comfortable of the two in the early stages of the match and surged 4-1 ahead with breaks of 101, 84 and 70.  Murphy’s advantage stretched to four frames when he produced another half-century run in the sixth frame.

Selby, who had to qualify for the tournament, battled back toward the end of the evening, claiming the final two frames of the session. 

The second session of the match, which is the best of 33 frames, is this afternoon.

Maguire, making his first appearance in the last four at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, made the brighter start to the earlier match.  With breaks of 102, 85 and 79, Maguire had a 3-1 lead over his fellow Scot at the interval.  Higgins, who won the title in 1998, levelled the scores with breaks of 113 and 68.  Maguire then claimed a scrappy seventh frame before Higgins drew level again, winning the final frame of the session.

The match resumes this morning.