Higgins going for high five

Snooker: Scot feels capable of adding to his world championships haul

John Higgins reckons he is playing well enough to lift the world championship for a fifth time after securing his first semi-final appearance in six years at the Crucible.

The Wishaw potter was rarely stretched against Kyren Wilson as he wrapped up a comfortable 13-6 win to book a last-four encounter in Sheffield.

The 41-year-old is a four-time champion but has not reached this stage since last lifting the trophy in 2011 – and he believes he is back to his brilliant best as the Crucible moves towards a one-table setup.

“I believe I can win the tournament. It is a great feeling to have,” he said.

“The nerves get more difficult as I get older, but I am more relaxed this year. I don’t know if that’s because I feel as if I’m playing all right and during this event you need to have a few sessions where you can really have good frame-winning breaks and I did that against Mark Allen in the second round.

“I did that in the second session against Kyren and any player needs that, a couple of sessions where they are dominating the other player.”

Higgins’ path to the semi-finals was made somewhat easier in the opening session, as Wilson’s cue tip split with the score locked at 3-3 – which both players acknowledged as a major moment.

From there, the Scot dominated – going on to lead 5-3 ahead of the second session and 11-5 overnight.

Any hopes Wilson had of a comeback were dashed early yesterday, with Higgins moving one frame from victory with a 61 and, two frames later, a break of 59 wrapped it up.

“It was a tough first session and I was lucky to come out 5-3 in front, but in the second session I felt as if I played well and I was thrilled with 11-5,” he said.

Higgins will next play Barry Hawkins after the Englishman beat Scot Stephen Maguire 13-9 last night.

Maguire said: “I was disheartened to be 11-9 down. I felt the life drained out of me. I handed him that match, he hasn’t won it.”

Elsewhere, Mark Selby showed why he remains the man to beat as a stunning run of three centuries in four frames swept him to a 13-3 win against Marco Fu.

Watch the snooker world championship live on Eurosport and Eurosport Player, with Colin Murray and analysis from Jimmy White and Neal Foulds.

“I believe I can win the tournament. It is a great feeling”