Tour Championship 2026 live comments, updates & scores - John Higgins beats Mark Selby, Neil Robertson sets up semi-final with Judd Trump

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Tour Championship 2026 live comments. TNT Sports' frame-by-frame updates of John Higgins and Mark Selby's meeting in a mouthwatering quarter-final clash. Higgins recovered from 8-5 down to win 10-8. He will meet Zhao Xintong who downed Chris Wakelin. Neil Robertson beat Barry Hawkins 10-8 and he will play Judd Trump on Friday in Manchester, with Higgins-Zhao taking place on Saturday.

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Higgins beats Selby to set up semi-final with Zhao

John Higgins won the final five frames to down fellow four-time world champion Mark Selby to set up a semi-final with the irrepressible Zhao Xintong in the Tour Championship.

In a topsy-turvy encounter, the first session saw neither player near their best but Higgins went 3-1 up and then won the last two frames to take a 5-3 lead into the evening.

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Selby then won five frames in succession, including two centuries, to put himself two frames from victory.

Incredibly, Higgins was trailing by the same score to Selby in last year's final and repeated the feat he managed then to come away with a 10-8 victory.

After nicking a crucial 14th frame, a 92-break then three straight 70-plus efforts took him to the last four.

The 'Wizard of Wishaw' will know he has to lift his game substantially against Zhao Xintong on Saturday after the reigning world champion hit five centuries, including three after the game resumed on Thursday evening, in thrashing Chris Wakelin 10-4.

In the afternoon match, Neil Robertson was not near his best but recovered from losing five of the first six frames, winning the last four to beat Barry Hawkins 10-8 and take his place against Judd Trump. The 'Ace in the Pack' made it through to the semi-finals after he beat Shaun Murphy in a decider on Wednesday night.

This live blog covers frame-by-frame updates from the Higgins-Selby match, with full scores across all matches available on the TNT Sports scores page.

Tour Championship 2026 live comments

Higgins beats Selby 10-8

Higgins wins his fifth frame on the trot to set up a semi-final with Zhao Xintong.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (73*-6)

There is no doubt now.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (72-6)

The break ends at 72 and Selby plays on, needing four snookers.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (64*-6)

Selby now requires snookers and the crowd give Higgins a huge roar.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (41*-6)

Higgins has opened the reds on the edge of the pack up and he looks to have enough available to get over the line now, if he can keep his nerve.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (29*-6)

Higgins has negotiated the table well so far, but with the pink nestled between a few reds, will need one good shot to set enough free to win the frame in the visit.

Higgins 9-8 Selby (1*-6)

Higgins misses a long pot and Selby cuts the red in. He plays a good positional shot on the brown, squeezes a red in but left with tricky cueing, under the side cushion, misses the pot. Higgins now has a chance to make him pay the full price.

Higgins 9-8 Selby

What a turnaround. Five straight for Selby this evening and now four straight for Higgins.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (82*-28)

Higgins pots the last red and colour and adds a fantastic long yellow.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (76*-28)

Selby needs snookers now. Higgins will need a couple of more reds to assure himself that Selby will stay in his seat.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (30*-28)

Higgins now has the lead and the rest of the reds look pretty well placed for him to seal the frame.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (9*-28)

Selby can't believe his luck as the cue ball lands leaving one red obscures his position on his intended object ball. He takes three minutes before going for a cut to right middle, planning to block the ball if he didn't pot it with the baulk colours. He fails to do so and now Higgins is at the table.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (8-7*)

Selby with a good first red then a remarkable blue to go around the table and clip into the pack of reds and leave himself on a red. The next red took an age to drop almost giving Selby palpitations.

Higgins 8-8 Selby (8-0)

A good pot gives Higgins the first chance, but he misses his second red.

Higgins 8-8 Selby

A break of 61 has the match level at eight-apiece.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (13*-46)

A couple of good pots and Higgins looks well capable of winning the frame now.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (0-46)

Selby pots a great long red, with hampered cueing, but then, with the ball on the left cushion, he missed the blue. A chance for Higgins to get back into the frame.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (0-45)

Selby was just a few centimetres out of position but it meant he could not continue the break. A good lead, but he'd have hoped and expected to win the frame there.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (0-32*)

Selby will need to open the pack at some stage. How that transpires should decide whether he wins the frame in this visit.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (0-6*)

This time a fantastic long pot from Selby and he gets back up the table to set himself on the blue.

Higgins 7-8 Selby (0-0)

When Higgins' general play was poor he was nailing long reds. Now his general play is good, he missed a long red by a mile. Go figure...

Higgins 7-8 Selby

The break ends at 92. Selby's best of the match.

Higgins 6-8 Selby (72*-0)

The frame is now Higgins'. The deficit is down to one. Can he now make his first hundred of the match?

Higgins 6-8 Selby (44*-0)

He left himself further away from the pack than he would have liked, but still stunned the red perfectly to set himself on the pink.

Higgins 6-8 Selby (26*-0)

Higgins looking as assured as we are used to seeing him thus far in the frame.

Higgins 6-8 Selby (1*-0)

Selby with a very poor safety has left reds all over the shop for Higgins to build a break if he can secure the first few pots.

Higgins 6-8 Selby

Higgins is back in the match.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (60-47)

Selby goes in off. And now Higgins just needs the baulk colours to pull a frame back.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (56-47)

Higgins does brilliantly to get the yellow off the cushion but it just moves too far to allow an easy cut into the middle - and he misses a long red, though the ball runs safe. A BIG frame to win now.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (35*-47)

Higgins has looked very assured so far, keeping his break going with a perfectly-weighted pot with the rest. But in most frames he has not been able to keep this form going.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (1*-47)

What a pot from Higgins! Nothing else in his game is going well but his long potting is exceptional. From right under the baulk cushion he knocks a red into the bottom-right pocket - and finishes perfectly on the black.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (0-47)

Selby pots a red and ends up touching the blue ball. The referee climbs on the table to check. Selby then knocks the yellow safe.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (0-38*)

Selby with a fantastic screw back off the black to open the reds. He looks in the zone now. Can he make it two straight successes from one visit.

Higgins 5-8 Selby (0-8*)

Higgins misses a chance and now Selby has his hand on the table around the black spot.

Higgins 5-8 Selby

A total clearance of 131. Higgins came back from this deficit last year but he will have to lift his game substantially to do so now.

Higgins 5-7 Selby (0-101*)

Selby has compiled his second century of the match.

Higgins 5-7 Selby (0-79*)

The frame is now Selby's and, remarkably, at just after nine o'clock local time, he is just two frames from victory.

Higgins 5-7 Selby (0-48*)

It had been said before - and only one time proved right, but Selby should win the frame at this visit now.

Higgins 5-7 Selby (0-5*)

Selby has his hand on the table first in the 13th frame.

Zhao beats Wakelin 10-4

A third century in four frames secures Zhao's passage into the last four. He will play the winner of Higgins-Selby and it is fair to say either will have to lift their game substantially to beat him.

Stephen Hendry said on Channel 5: "He is the future of the game for the next 10 or 15 years.

"There's still a lot of great players who will have their say, but Zhao Xintong has something a little bit special.

"I will be shocked if he does not win at least four or five world titles."

Zhao 9-4 Wakelin

The Chinese superstar is on the brink of the semi-final. Two centuries, then a fifty have given him a big lead.

Higgins 5-7 Selby

No one saw this coming! Selby has made a clean sweep of the first mini-session of the evening.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (34-61)

Selby pots green and brown to seal the frame.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (34-54)

A poor positional shot on the yellow, means Selby plays safe off the green ball when it looked like the frame was at his mercy.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (34-40*)

Higgins didn't get near enough to the red by the right cushion and knocks the near knuckle before the pocket and the ball stays out, leaving Selby an easy pot.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (12*-39)

A very good pot squeezes a red between black and another red into the bottom-right pocket and all colours are now accessible.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (5-39)

It was a tricky red with the rest into the bottom-left corner, but Selby missed it by a mile. It feels if he is almost getting through by default now. Can Higgins make him pay this time?

Higgins 5-6 Selby (5-10*)

Selby has opened the reds up but, for now, the pink and black are not available. If he can get either, or both, in play the frame should be his.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (5-0)

After doing well to get on the black with an extended cue and the rest, he snatches on a pretty straightforward black and misses it - then walks to his chair disconsolately.

Higgins 5-6 Selby (5*-0)

Higgins is again first on the table. he will really want to make it pay this time.

Higgins 5-6 Selby

Selby misses the pink but Higgins, needing two snookers, concedes. What a turnaround in the opening three frames.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (48-56*)

After potting the last red, Selby misses a colour and now surely Selby will not fail with most colours on their spots.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (47-54)

It has been a strange match. Selby this time misses a mid-range red into the bottom-left pocket when all assumed he would pot it.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (47-40*)

Selby now looks likely to win the frame at this visit. His cue ball control has been a lot better than Higgins in this session.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (47-1*)

A remarkable reverse-double from Selby and he gets back down the table off baulk to set himself up on the black.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (47-0)

Once more, after looking good, Higgins fails to turn his chance into a frame-winning break. He loses position and has to play safe.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (39*-0)

The Scot should notch his first frame of the evening session now. But we've thought that a few times already.

Higgins 5-5 Selby (8*-0)

Higgins leaves Selby a fairly easy pot on an open table, but he misses and Higgins now has a lot of reds at his disposal.

Zhao 6-4 Wakelin

The pair shared the opening frames with Zhao making a 70 in the opener, before Wakelin restored the two-frame gap with a 71.

Higgins 5-5 Selby

On three occasions it looked like Higgins would win the frame but a 33-break takes Selby over the line to level at five-apiece.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (42-25*)

Higgins also misses a straight-forward pot. Tight pockets or not, you don't expect these two to miss them.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (37*-24)

Selby looked like clearing up but left the black in the bottom-left corner jaws. It would have easily nestled in the pocket on the World Open tables.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (36-7*)

A poor safety from Higgins, opening up all the reds has left Selby with a good chance.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (36-0)

Did not see that happening! Higgins didn't get any luck when he tried to open the reds and, with that perhaps on his mind, then missed a blue into the right middle.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (23*-0)

Higgins with another long dead-weight red played to land on the black. If he missed Selby would've had a great chance to make a break. As it is, Higgins can now make a big dent in the frame.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (15-0)

After the great opening, Higgins can only muster 15 before the break ends.

Higgins 5-4 Selby (1*-0)

As clean cueing as you get. Higgins with no other option had to take on a long red with the cue ball on the baulk cushion and he hit the middle of the pocket.

Higgins 5-4 Selby

Selby just misses the total clearance, as the cue ball goes around the table after potting the pink only for it to land on the bottom cushion. Still, 127 not to be sniffed at.

Higgins 5-3 Selby (0-101*)

The Leicester star has hit three figures and looks on for a total clearance.

Higgins 5-3 Selby (0-79*)

Selby now has the frame and surely he will seal it with the first century of the match.

Higgins 5-3 Selby (0-51*)

He seems to have come out in his best form Selby. A picture-perfect break so far.

Higgins 5-3 Selby (0-5*)

Selby with the first pot of the evening. A cut into the left middle and he got a nice kiss of the brown to set himself for potting the ball into the opposite pocket.

Evening session set to start

Our main focus will be on Mark Selby and John Higgins, while Zhao Xintong and Chris Wakelin also resume with the Chinese player 5-3 ahead.

Higgins takes advantage into evening session

Neither of the four-time world champions was near their best in the first session, but John Higgins won the last two frames to take a 5-3 lead over Mark Selby, with play set to resume at 1900 BST.

Good breaks were at a premium. Higgins, after losing the first frame, made a break of 61 in the second, while Selby - after falling 3-1 behind before the mid-session interval - managed a 68 in the fourth frame.

The "Jester from Leicester" then levelled the score, before Higgins hit an 87 and 56 to take an advantage into the evening.

Neil Robertson held the same advantage over Barry Hawkins going into their second session today, but fell behind in the match before eventually prevailing 10-8.

Hawkins showed his intent with a break of 98 in the day's opening frame and went on to win four of the next five frames.

From 8-6 down, Robertson then found strong form to win four frames in a row and set up a semi-final with Judd Trump.

Robertson beats Hawkins 10-8

It was a real struggle but the Australian just came out on top, with a fifty break helping him to take the tense 18th frame.

Higgins 5-3 Selby

The Scot takes a two-frame lead into this evening's second session. A match that promises to go right to the wire.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (67*-1)

Higgins pots a red and a good positional shot off the green ensures he will take a two-frame lead into the second session this evening.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (61-1)

There is something about getting over the line for these two players in this match. Usually they never have a problem with this, but on this occasion, Higgins misses a red he would usually put away without thinking.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (47*-1)

Higgins looks in a good position to take the frame in this visit now.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (12*-1)

A fantastic pink into the left middle gives Higgins a chance of compiling a meaningful break.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (5-1)

Higgins pots a red and brown but misses a tricky second red down the right cushion. Back to stalemate again now.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (0-1)

It's gonna be a slow one. The last frame of the session has settled into an early safety battle and the black is not in a good position if a ball is potted soon.

Higgins 4-3 Selby (0-1)

Selby pots a red but with no colour on, he rolls the ball behind the green.

Higgins 4-3 Selby

We don't get the first century of the match but Higgins' 87 is the biggest break of the match so far.

Higgins 3-3 Selby (80*-0)

The frame is his now and the Scot looks set to hit the first century of the match.

Higgins 3-3 Selby (59*-0)

After he left himself with a difficult mid-range red to continue his break, Higgins is now on the brink of winning the frame.

Higgins 3-3 Selby (11*-0)

Higgins first at the table for the first time since the interval.

Higgins 3-3 Selby

And we are also level in our main game as Selby adds a 48 to his earlier 68.

Robertson 8-8 Hawkins

Robertson has won two of the last three to level things up.

Higgins 3-2 Selby (7-75*)

Just the seven from Higgins and his attempted safety leaves a red over the bottom right pocket. So Selby is going to level up here.

Higgins 3-2 Selby (0-68)

Once more Selby gets close to the finishing line before missing, this one the simplest of cuts into the bottom-left pocket. And again Higgins can take the frame if he clears up.

Higgins 3-2 Selby (0-37*)

Back at the table, Selby looks like he could well put the frame away in this visit now.

Higgins 3-2 Selby (0-30)

Selby first at the table again but would have wanted to have done morer damage than 30 points.

Higgins 3-2 Selby

Higgins pots a red but misses a pink into the middle, so concedes.

Higgins 3-1 Selby (20-72)

Higgins at the table now and he is probably favourite for the frame...or he was. He tried to cannon into the two last reds near the bottom-left pocket but went in off.

Higgins 3-1 Selby (0-68)

The break ends at 68, with 75 left on the table.

Higgins 3-1 Selby (0-40*)

Selby went into the pack and just managed to set himself up with a red into the middle. He will need to work on the cluster again if he is to win the frame in this visit.

Higgins 3-1 Selby (0-8*)

Back underway and Higgins misses a pretty straight-forward mid-range red, letting Selby in and he should be able to put together a good break with how the balls are looking.

Robertson 6-7 Hawkins

Hawkins won the first four of the morning to take the lead at the mid-session interval, but a 75-break gave the Aussie the first one after the resumption.

Higgins 3-1 Selby

A little surprising Selby did not keep going there. He surely would have done later in the match. An early lead at the interval for the Scot.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (69*-38)

A snooker from Higgins meant Selby needed a snooker and the green means he needs three.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (62-38)

The balls are now well placed for a break, should either leave the green on. They are not looking like doing so at the moment though.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (62-36)

The frame is back open again! Higgins is put in a snooker and misses the yellow - then hits the black.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (62-29)

Selby snares a snooker but Higgins then, with the cue ball very close to the object, cuts the last red into the bottom-right pocket. The frame is surely his.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (58-25)

Higgins pots the penultimate red. If he notches the next, the frame should be his.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (52-25)

Selby ends the break with a fine safety to the baulk cushion.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (52-20*)

Only five pots so far but a very good break from Selby already. One fantastic long cut into the top-left pocket. There are two more reds but are both on the bottom cushion.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (52-1)

Higgins pots a good long red but he can't get on a colour. He is getting there by stealth.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (51-1)

Higgins misses a mid-range red, but with all the others now on one cushion or other, 50 points looks a good lead.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (31*-1)

It will still be difficult to build a break with many reds in a bunch around the baulk cushion but he can put a good-sized dent in the frame here.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (21-1)

After a protracted safety exchange, Selby pots a long red and manages to squeeze a way through the glut of reds. He finishes just the wrong side of the yellow and had to play safe.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (21-0)

Selby twice goes for a thin contact looking for a safety shot but misses, so on the third occasion he goes for a pot and misses - and is fortunate to not leave Higgins a pot on.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (13-0)

Higgins unable to take full advantage of the fluke.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (8*-0)

Higgins puts away another long red and this time looked to have left something on when he fired a red wide of the bottom-left pocket. However, it bounced up against the baulk cushion and back into the same pocket.

Higgins 2-1 Selby (3-0)

Selby leaves Higgins a tempter from the bottom-end of the table back up to baulk and he puts it away. He fails to get on a red off the yellow though.

Robertson 5-5 Hawkins

Hawkins won the first with a big break and the second with superior matchplay. The 11th frame is another dogged affair. This match looks likely to go deep.

Higgins 2-1 Selby

Selby pots a couple of reds to get over the line in the penultimate frame before the interval.

Higgins 1-1 Selby (56-18)

Higgins plays a remarkable snooker whichj

Higgins 1-1 Selby (56-18)

Higgins misses a red which, with a colour, would have left Selby needing snookers. He is fortunate not to leave something on.

Higgins 1-1 Selby (27*-18)

A loose Selby shot leaves Higgins in again. Can he make it pay this time?

Higgins 1-1 Selby (26-18)

Higgins' break ends after just 20 and the frame is in the balance now.

Higgins 1-1 Selby (14*-18)

Inexplicable miss from Selby as he rolls the black towards the bottom-right pocket too slow. Higgins pots a good red to middle to start a break.

Higgins 1-1 Selby (6-6*)

Higgins is first at the table but can't make it pay. Selby now looks like putting a substantial score down.

Robertson 5-4 Hawkins

A 98-break gave Hawkins the first frame of the second session. The tenth frame is a tense affair and could be a crucial one to win.

Higgins 1-1 Selby (0-0)

Selby misses a long pot attempt this time around and is fortunate not to leave a pot on.

Higgins 1-1 Selby

Both players look in good nick early in the match.

Higgins 0-1 Selby (67*-0)

Selby leaves a red over the bottom-right pocket which Higgins puts away and now he will seal the frame.

Higgins 0-1 Selby (61-0)

Higgins misses a ricochet of the pack of reds off the black and leaves himself a tough cannon from the baulk end. Higgins misses the pot but plays it as a shot to nothing.

Higgins 0-1 Selby (4*-0)

Higgins with almost a carbon copy of Selby's opening pot in the last frame. And he follows with a green to set up the chance of a break.

Higgins 0-1 Selby

Selby adds a 47, to his earlier 45, to take the opener.

Higgins 0-0 Selby (0-55*)

Selby back int he balls and after breaking up a couple of reds, he should put the frame to bed now.

Higgins 0-0 Selby (0-47)

Selby fails to open up the pack of reds to continue his break and has to play safe, leaving a snooker which Higgins first time round fails to get out of.

Higgins 0-0 Selby (0-5*)

A fine first long pot from Selby and potting the brown gets him back down the table to get amongst the reds.

Higgins and Selby on the table shortly

The match will shortly be underway.

Three matches to enjoy today

Our main focus is the battle of legends, John Higgins and Mark Selby. On the second table, Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins will resume their match, playing to a finish. Zhao Xintong and Chris Wakelin then do the same.