Two in a row from Shaun Murphy and we're all level, again!

What a couple of semi-finals we are being treated to here.

Just a measly 78 break this time for The Magician. The first time he hasn't hit a century in a winning frame today.

Good luck predicting the end of this one, folks!

A much different style break from Shaun Murphy to the ones we've seen so far.

This is much more of a slow builder and he's only just hit the half-century mark.

A leaf out of his opponent's book, perhaps?

Murphy leads by 53, with 67 remaining.

John Higgins with a weak safety shot that opens up the table for Shaun Murphy.

"The weakest safety shot I think I've ever seen John Higgins play," says Stephen Hendry.

This could be an absolutely golden opportunity for Murphy to draw level once more.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

It's been another beautifully crafted break by Shaun Murphy.

Of the two, he looks the more fluent.

OK, he's behind in the match, but should he get ample opportunity to win frames, it does seems like he's very capable of winning in one visit.

He's hanging on in there, just one frame behind.

Deja vu?

That frame of Shaun Murphy's was almost a carbon copy of the first two of today's session. And another century break!

105 the score on the board that time, his third century of the session.

And yet he still trails by one!

We're back from the interval and it's Shaun Murphy starting the frame as he did the first.

That break-off shot of his caused John Higgins all sorts of problems and before you know it he's off on a break.

He's up to a break of 30 already and looking to get a quick one back on the board.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

You cannot look at the winning line. You just have to let it come. You have to take each frame as if it's the last. That is the way you've got to play it. That's the way John has been playing it and that is the way he has got to continue to play it.

This World Championship has had plenty of drama, some scintillating matches and a record marathon frame.

One thing we're still waiting for, though, is a maximum break.

Semi-finalists John Higgins and Mark Allen have made 147s in the past at the Crucible, but Allen's 145 is the highest break so far this year.

From Cliff Thorburn making the first in 1983, to Allen firing the 15th last year, Crucible maximums are special moments and we've had a look back at their history in Sheffield.

Wishful reading for the interval?

147s at the Crucible - how many? How often do they lead to wins? Who has made one?

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

What can you say? It's not like he [Shaun Murphy] has made a lot of mistakes. That missed red was the only real highlight. He is playing so well but he is playing a guy that just won't go away. He is going to have to play like he played in those first two frames to have a chance of winning this match.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC One

Shaun Murphy, for all his brilliance in the first two frames, looks like he'll have nothing to show for it.

Going back to the blue he refused in the third frame when he was absolutely flying [Murphy chose to play safe], maybe that was too soon to get too careful? I think he was getting too careful, too early.

This break may not have been as fluent or as swashbuckling as Shaun Murphy's two centuries, but it's been equally as effective and arguably more important for John Higgins. He's regained his two-frame advantage.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

That was John Higgins at his best. It wasn't pristine cue-balling but he had to work really hard for that break. It was a real masterclass in break-building and bottle.

That will do it. That was as an extremely disciplined frame of snooker from John Higgins who regains a two-frame lead at the end of the mini session with a break of 88.

All of that hard work from Shaun Murphy to pull back level with those two outstanding breaks has now been wiped out.

An intriguing end to this session awaits us after the interval.

John Higgins passes the half-century mark and is slowly chipping away at this important frame.

He leads by 50 with 67 remaining.

Shaun Murphy looked to be on for a replay of one of those opening two frames after a couple of lovely opening pots but on a break of 11, he misses what looks a relatively simple red to the bottom right corner.

John Higgins is back to the table now and is cueing well. Could he be poised to regain that two-frame lead before the end of the mini session?

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC One

He's not done anything in this frame that would intimidate Shaun Murphy or frighten him in any way, but he has won the frame which was the important thing.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

He had to do something to stop the momentum of Shaun and he certainly did. There was a very clever shot where he refused the blue. A lot of players on the circuit would be scratching their head but it was very, very clever from John Higgins.