World Snooker Championship 2026: And Then There Were Four…

William Hill News tipster Sam Cox previews the semi-finals of the 2026 World Snooker Championship, with every frame crucial in the race to lift the trophy at The Crucible.

None of the top four seeds have made it to the last four of the 2026 Snooker World Championship. There have been plenty of snooker betting upsets throughout the tournament, with Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, and Mark Selby falling before the quarter-final stage.

Here are our top sports betting tips for the semis:

Shaun Murphy vs John Higgins

Shaun Murphy defied the odds to see off the top-seeded Zhao Xintong in the last round. John Higgins was on fire in his quarter-final, overcoming Neil Robertson in a 23-frame duel.

It was vintage Higgins in his win over Robertson. The Scot is the oldest Crucible semi-finalist since Ray Reardon. He’s got happy memories of facing Murphy in Sheffield, having beaten him in the final back in 2009.

Murphy had to be at his best to beat Zhao and he was. Pulling off pots from improbable angles and long distances, Murphy built several superb breaks to topple the world’s best player.

This is going to be an epic if both players can maintain those standards.

Pick: Over 30.5 frames (6/5)

Mark Allen vs Wu Yize

Mark Allen had to fight hard to beat Barry Hawkins in 24 frames in the last eight. Wu Yize’s 13-8 win over Hossein Vafaei was the most emphatic of the quarter-final contests, though Wu is far from guaranteed of a place in the final as he faces an in-form Allen.

This is just Allen’s third semi-final appearance at the Crucible. Chasing the Triple Crown, the 40-year-old has dug deep to play some of his best snooker in recent memory.

Wu’s lack of Crucible experience doesn’t seem to have impacted his performances. He took a commanding lead against Vafaei in the quarters and never relinquished his advantage.

Allen has only won one of his last three matches against Wu. Their last meeting ended in a 5-1 victory for Wu at the World Open.

Pick: Wu Yize -2.5 frames (21/20)

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*