World Snooker Championship Date: 18 April-4 May Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Coverage: Live coverage each day on BBC Two, BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only), updates on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Video - erratic Higgins allows Allen back in
John Higgins remains two frames from making his fourth World Championship final after Mark Allen bravely fought back to trail 15-9 in their semi-final. Resuming at 13-3 after an impressive second session, Higgins lost the opener but hit back with an 85, before Allen snatched the next two to trail 14-6. Allen won his third frame of the night with a 58, but Higgins replied with 93. With the Scot looking jaded, Allen took the last two frames to retain a glimmer of hope of an amazing comeback. A dominant performance by Higgins, who claimed the second of his world titles two years ago, in the first two sessions meant the Scot only needed four more frames to sweep into the final. But he did not have it all his own way, as Allen powered back to take six of the evening's eight frames. The Northern Ireland contingent amassed in The Crucible would have been desperate for an early strike and they had much to cheer about as the 23-year-old took the first frame after a break of 63. But Higgins responded calmly, knocking in a break of 85 to stretch his lead to 14-4.
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606: DEBATE
John From London Town MBE
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Allen, in his first-ever Crucible semi-final, looked to be in even more trouble in the next when a bad kick allowed his opponent back in. But Higgins, whose pot success in this match had reached an incredible 94%, missed an easy red and Antrim's top potter, conqueror of reigning champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round, swooped to win his second of the night with a 56. It was to get better for the man who made his Crucible debut in 2007 and is aiming to become Northern Ireland's first champion since Dennis Taylor overcame Steve Davis in 1985. Higgins was in control with a 27-point lead before unluckily going in-off after a fabulous long red. With the crowd roaring on an increasingly confident Allen, he secured his third of the night with a battling 58. The mid-session interval did nothing to hold back Allen's resurgence and a fluked red into the middle and a subsequent snooker handed him another great chance to further gnaw away at the deficit. Allen wobbled though and after leaving a tricky red left dangling in the jaws of the bottom pocket, Higgins jumped in and scored 93 to get within two of victory. With the pressure mounting, Allen was fighting for everything and a 32 break put him 43 ahead with 43 remaining. Higgins's stubbornness in any match situation is well known, but Allen eventually clung on to make it 15-7. After final-frame deciders in the last two rounds against Jamie Cope and Mark Selby, Higgins' energy levels must have been waning and he would have been keen to wrap up the win with a session to spare. However, with the Scot's concentration looking increasingly ragged, Allen extended his Crucible trip by at least another day by winning the next after some scrappy exchanges. In the final hour Higgins looked like a man determined to hit his bed as he continued to miss easy pots, allowing his fired-up opponent to steam-roller the last to finish six frames behind. The match resumes on Saturday at 1430 BST with the winner needing 17 frames to make the final.
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