Gilbert in charge against Higgins

David Gilbert extended his lead over John Higgins to four frames at the end of the morning session of the World Championship semi-final at the Crucible.

Gilbert punished the Scot for a series of uncharacteristic errors as he turned a 5-3 overnight advantage into a 10-6 lead ahead of the third session of their match on Friday evening.

Yet the 33-year-old may still be left feeling he missed a chance due to a performance by Higgins which BBC commentator John Virgo described as “one of the worst in all his years of coming here”.

Gilbert was not punished for a pair of early errors before he rattled in a break of 125 to clinch the opening frame of the morning.

Higgins’ error-strewn display allowed the world number 16 to make up for his own missed chances and drag his advantage to five frames at 8-3.

It could have been worse for Higgins in the 12th frame but a missed green from Gilbert allowed the Scot to dredge out his first frame of the day and hint at a shift of momentum.

Higgins looked to have seized his chance after the mid-session interval, winning the next two frames to move back to 8-6 and pile the pressure on Gilbert, experiencing the one-table set-up at the Crucible for the first time.

But the Tamworth player responded magnificently, with a break of 72 winning the penultimate frame and a nerveless final black after Higgins had hauled back a 50-point deficit, leaving him firmly in control.

In the afternoon session Judd Trump recovered from falling 6-5 behind to take a 9-7 semi-final lead over Gary Wilson as he pursues a first World Championship final since 2011.

Two half-century breaks had put Wilson in front, after Thursday’s session had concluded with them drawing 4-4, before Trump secured a 73 break as he began to respond.

Trump followed that up by also winning next two frames, including the 13th with a break of 123, leaving Wilson with only a single point from the previous three.

After Trump’s fourth frame win in succession, Wilson produced a 77 break to reduce the deficit to two ahead of Saturday’s session, which begins at 10am.