Thursday's evening World Championship semi-final between Mark Allen and Wu Yize was interrupted by a technical issue at the Crucible.
With Co Antrim native Allen at the table during the third frame, the BBC’s TV and online broadcast went off air.
The World Snooker Tour posted a short update on X, saying: "Broadcast has been paused at the Halo World Championship due to a technical issue, we are working towards resolving this."
Broadcast has been paused at the Halo World Championship due to a technical issue, we are working towards resolving this.
— WST (@WeAreWST) April 30, 2026
It was only a short delay, with the players able to soon return, along with the television coverage, to finish off the final frame before the mid-session interval.
Wu, who beat former champion Mark Selby and then ended the run of qualifier Hossein Vafaei in the last eight, had benefitted from a double in the opening frame before going on to make a well-crafted 77.
Allen’s break in the next finished at 59 after a missed cut on the black and following a few safety exchanges, Wu capitalised to pinch the frame with another half-century.
The world number 14, through to the semi-finals for the second time in four years, regrouped as a break of 91 secured the third frame before the unexpected interruption and then levelled the match at 2-2.
In Thursday's afternoon session, Shaun Murphy was reminded his mission of ending a 21-year wait for a second world crown will not be straightforward as he was pegged back by four-time champion John Higgins in their semi-final.
The 2005 champion has moved through the gears since squeaking out a 10-9 first-round win over Fan Zhengyi, easing past Xiao Guodong in round two before conquering reigning world champion Zhao Xintong in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four showdown with Higgins and a repeat of the 2009 final.
Scotsman Higgins cruised to victory on that occasion 17 years ago but it was Murphy who made the stronger start on Thursday afternoon, taking a 3-1 lead into the mid-session interval.
Higgins fought back, though, winning three of the final four frames of the opening session to level things up at 4-4.
Murphy started brightly, taking the opener 110-1 with breaks of 42 and 68.
Higgins - playing his 100th match at the Crucible - had a late night on Wednesday as he fought off Neil Robertson but showed few signs of fatigue as he took advantage of Murphy's numerous missed chances to win the second frame 65-27.
But Murphy hit back, taking a cagey third frame with a 69 break before a stunning century in the next sent him into the interval with a 3-1 lead.
A lengthy safety battle developed when the action got back under way, with Higgins emerging victorious to reduce the deficit to a single frame.
The 50-year-old looked in control in the next before a missed pink left the door ajar for Murphy but the Englishman could not make the most of his opportunity and Higgins closed out a 63-41 win to square the match at 3-3.
Murphy won frame seven with a smart break of 34 but could not do anything to prevent Higgins from pulling level once more as a 50 break proved enough.
