Summary

  • Click the 'Watch live' icon or 'Watch & listen' tab for BBC coverage

  • Semi-finals are best of 33 frames and will conclude on Saturday

  • LIVE: Wu Yize 10-8 Mark Allen (frames 15-22)

  • Only six frames played in Friday's second session because of longest frame in Crucible history

  • 14:30 BST: John Higgins 13-11 Shaun Murphy (played to finish)

  • 19:00: Wu v Allen (played to finish)

  • Schedule, BBC coverage & results

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  1. Postpublished at 11:46 BST

    Wu 10-8 Allen

    What a shot that is from Mark Allen. A long plant onto the red looks to set him up on the black.. or does it?

    There's just not enough room there to go for the shot and he plays for the safety shot instead.

    He gets a second chance though as he gets back on the table and pots another long red and this time he is on a colour.

    Can he clear up from here?

  2. Big four frames ahead for Wu and Allenpublished at 11:40 BST

    Wu 10-8 Allen

    The players are back from their cup of tea, seeking to strike a first decisive blow after the interval.

    "It's a very important mini session before their final session tonight, particularly for Mark Allen," says 1997 world champion Ken Doherty on BBC Two.

  3. Who are the big winners in the World Championship's modern era?published at 11:36 BST

    Wu and Allen are searching for a first World Championship title, and one of them will have a crack at the big one on Sunday and Monday.

    In the other semi-final, John Higgins has his eyes on a fifth victory and is established as an all-time great already.

    These are the big winners in snooker's modern era.

    List of World Championship winners in the modern era, headed by seven-time winners Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen HendryImage source, BBC Sport
  4. Postpublished at 11:32 BST

    Wu 10-8 Allen

    Stephen Hendry
    Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

    We has stepped up this morning.

    I thought he looked bang on it when he came into the arena. There were no smiles, it was just a cursory wave to the crowd.

    It might be he's just not a morning person, but to me he looked on it.

    I thought he had a different vibe about him and from the first frame his intent has been to just go out and pot all the balls. It's brilliant to watch.

    Mark Allen, tapping his leg [in appreciation], I don't know about that because you're here to win the World Championship semi-final, not applaud your opponent, but it shows you how good he's playing that his opponent's appreciating it.

    His strength is to attack and pot the balls, so that's how you play, you don't change your game just because you're playing someone like Mark Allen who's very good at the tactical side.

  5. The Hurricane Higgins legacypublished at 11:28 BST

    Alex Higgins and daughter Lauren with the World Championship trophy at the family home in CheadleImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Alex Higgins and daughter Lauren with the World Championship trophy at the family home in Cheadle

    Mark Allen was born in 1986, four years after Alex Higgins won his second World Championship title and hugged toddler daughter Lauren as tightly as the trophy.

    Allen was a boy of just eight when Higgins last featured at the Crucible in a World Championship.

    So Allen's views about his fellow Northern Ireland cue star have mostly been shaped by watching video clips of the Hurricane, and from Allen's father's own memories.

    Allen, who hails from Antrim, has spoken in the past about how Higgins had an influence on his career.

    He said: "He was before my time, but it was probably watching Alex that got my dad interested, and that led to my dad taking me to the club, so there's the knock-on effect.

    "I only see him on videos, but you hear all the stories from some of the players back home, from the amateur ranks, of how Alex was and it would have been great to have been around him then."

    To follow in the footsteps of Higgins and Dennis Taylor by becoming a champion for Northern Ireland in Sheffield has always been Allen's aim.

    "I got a small taste of that when I won the Masters," he said.

    "The reception I got for that was beyond anything I'd had before and I imagine if I won the Worlds it would be on an entirely other level, so it's up to me to try and do it. We'd have open-top buses - I'd hire one myself."

  6. 'Wu is back on the horse'published at 11:21 BST

    Wu 10-8 Allen

    Ken Doherty
    1997 world champion on BBC Two

    The way he's gone about himself this morning really is exceptional.

    What a session of snooker we've been treated to this morning and hopefully there's be a lot more coming.

    Brilliant break from Wu Yize. He's back on the horse. He fell off it yesterday but he's well and truly back on it now.

  7. Wu extends lead with another century breakpublished at 11:17 BST

    Wu 10-8 Allen

    A 142, a 76 and now a 121 for Wu Yize who extends his lead to two frames over Mark Allen.

    This is some real no-fear snooker from the 22-year-old who even received subtle applause from Allen in his seat when he knocked the brown in for his century.

    A great mini session, from both players.

  8. Wu 'a fiendish potter'published at 11:13 BST

    Wu 9-8 Allen

    John Parrott
    1991 world champion on BBC Two

    He made a couple of breaks in the opening session of this match that were truly outstanding.

    He had one break the other night with nine blues and two yellows. The cue ball was travelling around all over the place, but he was knocking everything in.

    He's a bit of a fiendish potter as well as an accurate break-maker. It's a dangerous combination.

  9. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:12 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    This is the Arsenal v Atletico semi, with Murphy and Higgins very much the Bayern v PSG.

    Christopher

  10. Postpublished at 11:09 BST

    Wu 9-8 Allen

    A lovely pot off the rest from Wu Yize to get a break going for himself. He follows that up with a couple of delightful positional shots on stray reds and he's back down near the pack again.

    The 22-year-old leads 25-14 in the frame as he continues to build.

  11. Postpublished at 11:05 BST

    Wu 9-8 Allen

    Mark Allen misses a long red to the bottom left and misses it by a distance.

    Incredibly, in a rather open table of reds, the cue ball drops safely and leaves Wu Yize with nothing doing.

    To the safety shots we go.

  12. Wu 'just so good to watch'published at 11:02 BST

    Wu 9-8 Allen

    Stephen Hendry
    Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

    He's just all about getting in, winning the frames in one visit.

    He's going to have to play the tactical game at some stage, but he's just so good to watch.

    He's all-out positive the whole time, going into the pack early again, getting the balls open.

  13. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:00 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Outstanding world championships so far. Full of firsts and amazing performances. The standards and abilities are incredible. It’s a totally different game from the 80’s. Strangely missing the personalities though.

    TJ

  14. Wu retakes the leadpublished at 10:58 BST

    Wu 9-8 Allen

    Wu Yize misses a red with the extension but on a break of 76, Mark Allen says that's enough and Wu retakes the lead.

    Another very impressive visit from the young man.

  15. Postpublished at 10:55 BST

    Wu 8-8 Allen

    This is some response from Wu Yize who is up beyond a half-century break in this frame.

    The 22-year-old's current session pot success currently sits at 96% and he is right in the groove.

  16. Postpublished at 10:50 BST

    Wu 8-8 Allen

    Steve Sutcliffe
    BBC Sport at the Crucible Theatre

    Mark Allen was clearly irked on Friday after the longest Crucible frame in history.

    He was unhappy by the way the 14th frame was officiated and the perceived influence of Rob Spencer's chat with match referee Marcel Eckardt.

    The Stockport official was dispatched from the tournament office, well into the deadlock, to warn there would be no time to restart the frame if a re-rack was called as the following match was soon due to start.

    Although Northern Ireland's Allen did not see it that way and is sure to be fired up this morning.

  17. 'Allen is more tactically adept than Wu'published at 10:48 BST

    Wu 8-8 Allen

    Joe Perry
    Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC Two

    Allen always seems to find a way back [from difficult situations]. He is more tactically adept than Wu.

    You have to win some of the scrappy games and Mark Allen is going to win the vast majority of those.

  18. Allen levels things uppublished at 10:46 BST

    Wu 8-8 Allen

    We're back all square once again.

    Off the back of that failed long red from Wu Yize, Mark Allen builds a break of 56 and Wu concedes the frame.

    Back-and-forth we go.

  19. Postpublished at 10:43 BST

    Wu 8-7 Allen

    A real good opportunity for Mark Allen to open up a commanding lead in this frame now.

    He delivered a brilliant safety shot that forced Wu Yize into attempting a long red but the 22-year-old could only rattle the jaws of the pocket.

    That has opened up the table now for the Northern Irishman to likely level this one back up, should all go to plan.

  20. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 10:39 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    This is the semi-final you watch and think one of these two will go on to win the tournament. All due respect to John and Shaun but the Snooker these two have been producing has been of the highest order.

    Keegan