McGill, Murphy reach British Open final as Murphy stuns Selby

Anthony McGill advanced to the British Open final on Saturday by stopping compatriot John Higgins 6-3, winning four straight frames to seal the victory. It will be McGill’s first final in eight years. Earlier, England’s Shaun Murphy cruised past defending champion Mark Selby 6-1 to reach the showpiece on Sunday.

McGill, 34, has slid to 57th in the world and had not reached a semi-final in nearly three years, leaving him as the underdog against Higgins, a four-time world champion currently ranked sixth. After the match, McGill said, "It’s fantastic win for me because John is a legend. This will be the biggest final of my career. In the last couple of years I have won hardly any matches so this is a huge week for me." Higgins briefly looked set to gain momentum when he took the fifth frame with a 111 break, but McGill steadied and surged clear with a 104 break in the eighth and a 93 in the ninth to seal the win.

In the other semi-final, Murphy was hunting a second ranking title after a 26-month drought. The 43-year-old started well, taking the first three frames against Selby. The latter responded with a 123 break to seize the fourth, but Murphy regained control, winning a tense fifth frame after coming from 54-0 down and closing out the match with a 93 break to set up a Sunday final.

The upcoming final pits two veterans against one another, with McGill seeking a landmark return to the sport’s elite after months outside the top 50 and Murphy aiming to collect another major title in a career spanning more than two decades. The match is scheduled for Sunday, continuing a tournament that has produced surprise runs and dramatic frames in recent days.