Match Reports from the 888.com World Championship

John Higgins 4 – 4 Stephen Maguire

The semi finals got underway with a session of cracking snooker as John Higgins and Stephen Maguire traded big breaks.

It was Stephen Maguire who came out firing, fresh from Wednesday’s destruction of Anthony Hamilton.  The ninth seed took the first frame with a break of 85.

Higgins got some time at the table in the next, and took his chance to level at 1-1.

The world number four spent the next two frames in his chair as Maguire hit top gear.  He made a 102 break in the third to regain the lead.  It was his sixth century of the championship.

After good wins against Joe Perry, Joe Swail and Hamilton, Maguire has become the tournament’s dark horse, and he went 3-1 ahead before the interval with a break of 79.

When the players returned, it was Maguire who spent the most time in his seat.  Higgins came out showing the form that dispatched Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals.  The 31-year-old responded with a century of his own in the fifth frame, and got back on level terms at 3-3 with a 68 break.

The quality level was among the best seen over the 13 days, and all six opening frames included breaks of over 50.

The players shared the last two frames to finish a terrific session all square.  The second session is this morning, with the match scheduled to finish on Saturday afternoon.

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