DAY FOURTEEN: HIGGINS AND HAWKINS PROTECT TWO FRAME CUSHIONS IN TENSE SEMI FINALS
John Higgins still holds a two frame cushion over Kyren Wilson after an enthralling days play in their last four showdown.
The morning session was a tight, tense affair with frames getting scrappy and balls going into awkward positions.
Wilson won the first of the day to reduce his arrears to one frame before tactically astute Higgins won the next two frames to go 7-4 clear.
The Warrior responded with a two frame burst of his own to claw back to 6-7 behind aided by a break of 65 in frame twelve.
Frame fourteen was littered with chances for both men that ultimately went down to the colours. Wilson potted an excellent brown to get on the blue but rattled the blue in the jaws. The Scot potted the blue off the cushion but overhit a round the angles pink for position on the black. Slow cut roll to middle - missed.
Safety battle on the black. Mistake by Wilson. Chance for Higgins - TAKEN. 8-6.
Two frame lead again but good reply from Wilson with a run of 74 and the lead is down to one again. Big last frame of the morning which the Wizard of Wishaw controls to maintain his two frame lead from session one.
Into the evening then and BOOOOOOOM from Wilson. 124 break.
Don't mess with John Higgins - 56 and 75 breaks and it's 11-8.
Wilson fires back with an 81. A couple of snooker powerhouses going at it hammer and tongue. Gap down to two frames yet again.
Over to you Mr Higgins.
40 break and plays safe. And loads of reds go safe as well.
Wilson decides to open up reds and oh dear. That's an error. 12-9.
No matter, into the next and BOOOOOOM again from Wilson - 106 break.
Frame 23, the Scot gets in first but breaks down. Wilson in for a clearance.
Brilliant just brilliant from the Warrior. 93 break and back to within one.
What has the Wizard of Wishaw got left?
Wilson breaks off. Long red left. 91 from Higgins.
What a session of snooker. Higgins leads 13-11 overnight.
Barry Hawkins remains 2 frames up on Mark Williams after a tension riddĺed second session in their semi final clash.
Hawkins failed to pot a ball in the first two frames as Williams levelled at 5-5 with breaks of 80 and 63. The Hawk won the next frame before the Welshman restored parity once again heading to the mid session interval.
Tension riddled session. Hawkins scrambles through a scrappy frame 13 for 7-6 and carves out a run of 56 to regain a two frame advantage.
Another tight and nervy affair in frame 15, Hawkins with a brave double on the final pink and IN. What a shot. 9-6.
Williams under pressure to win the last of the session.
Superb opening red - clearance of 62 and thats that.
9-7 Hawkins overnight.
Why do they do that thing after sessions where the cameraman has to follow a player all the way back to their dressing room? Is this excess male arse for any women in the audience? Do they hope to prevent a player running away in blind terror? I understand the need for establishing shots in news interviews, but this is just silly.
And what is up with that spot on the end of John Parrott's nose?
Well done for Higgins keeping his lead, and Wilson showing he can keep up with the old man, even if he can't quite catch him (yet).
Today sees my last daily reviews of the tournament as the final will be live on BBC2 in full.
Day Fifteen - JUDGEMENT DAY - PART ONE
John Higgins v Kyren Wilson
Final session - (started from 13-11 Higgins)
Heightened senses and tension for the climax to this first semi final.
Wilson booms in a 96 to reduce his arrears to one frame yet again.
The Scot responds yet again himself to control the next and regain his two frame lead before slotting a fantastic 136 total clearance to go three clear at 15-12. Wilson in true Warrior fashion shows real heart to roll in a 53 and we are back where we started with Higgins two in front.
Mid session interval taken - players emerge once again with everything on the line.
Four time champion striving for the line bangs in a 100 break and is one away.
Frame thirty, a break of 98 and that's it.
John Higgins is through to his seventh World Final.
Now he waits to see who will join him in the Crucible showpiece.
Barry Hawkins v Mark Williams
Morning session - (started from 9-7 Hawkins)
Barry Hawkins roars out of the traps with a brilliant 128.
Williams hits back with a three frame salvo aided by a break of 68 in frame 20 and levels the match. Hawkins sensing danger responds superbly with breaks of 53 and 133. The Welshman fires back with magnificent century and it's 12-11 Hawkins.
Absolutely ENORMOUS final frame of the session in this humdinger of a contest.
Williams hits a 50 break but The Hawk counters with a quite outstanding 73 clearance to protect a two frame cushion heading into the deciding evening session.
Into the evening then and Williams calmly rolls in a 55 break to reduce his arrears to one frame. Next three frames are scrappy affairs. Hawkins wins the first to go 14-12 but Williams wins the next to get back to within one yet again.
Frame 28 and Hawkins left to rue missed opportunities.
Williams steps in for the clearance and its 14-14.
Tit for tat, every frame getting scrappy.
15-14 Hawkins. 15-15 then Williams leads for the first time at 16-15.
Hawkins wondering how it has all gone so wrong for him.
Superb act of sportsmanship from Hawkins when snookered behind the blue on reds.
So tense. Can Williams finish it? Can Hawkins summon up one last effort?
Alll scoring in bits and pieces. Big breaks gone AWOL.
John Higgins must be loving this.
Down to the colours. The Hawk leads 53-38.
Pots the yellow. Williams pots green, brown and blue.
Misses a double on the pink.
Gets another chance and that's it all over.
Joy for Williams, despair for Hawkins as the Welshman wins 17-15.
So we get the classic match up we were after - The Welsh Potting Machine v The Wishaw Wizard.
Both turned profesional in 1992, there's people posting on here who weren't even born then.
Williams "shot of the championship" (go to 1:00 min) :
I fear for Williams to be honest.
A very late finish and all that it has taken out of him may hinder his chances against Higgins.
I hope it's a really close final but I fear it may not be .
I really hope my fears are not realized.
A word for Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins too.
Wilson put up a very good performance against Higgins bearing in mind it was his first time in the one table set up at the Crucible.
And poor Barry Hawkins, led for virtually the whole match and lost it right at the end.
He has developed an unenviable habit of being the eternal nearly man.
I feel for him. He must be inconsolable.
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