BBC commentator Dennis Taylor has called for a spectator to be ejected from the Crucible Theatre after shouting during Shaun Murphy's break in the World Snooker Championship semi-final. The incident occurred as Murphy prepared to break with the score level at 11-11 against John Higgins, when a fan yelled 'Come on, John!'
Murphy, the 2005 champion, was visibly shaken by the outburst. Taylor, a former world champion, reacted strongly, saying: 'What are they shouting about? Just get them out of the Crucible, we don't need that in our game.' The 43-year-old Murphy continued after the brief interruption.
The match between Higgins and Murphy has been closely contested, with both players drawing level multiple times. Higgins currently leads 13-11 after the third session, having won the final two frames on Friday night. Pundits have praised Murphy's long potting, with Stephen Hendry noting that 'a long red is almost like a black off the spot for Shaun'.
However, errors have been decisive, with Joe Perry commenting that Higgins could have won frames in one visit but for mistakes. Perry praised Higgins after a break of 101, saying: 'That's the best John Higgins has looked in this semi-final. Since the interval, that's breaks of 63, 70 and a century - clinical, one-frame snooker.'
Hendry added that Higgins has improved as each match has progressed, stating: 'He knows when the business end of these games are and he just finds gears, that's what he's always done.' The semi-final continues with the fourth session on Saturday.
