Grudge match in store

2005 champion Sean Murphy completed an amazing fight-back to win 13-12 in the last eight against Matthew Stevens before taking a 5-3 lead from Mark Selby in the first session of his semi.

"Murphy was amazing in that quarter-final," Hendon told us. "The way he played in the early part of the match I thought his game had gone: he didn't look like he could do anything. Then from somewhere he found the form that he showed when he won the tournament.

"He's got amazing self-belief. A lot of other players would have gone through the motions, but he still thought he could win at 11-5, 12-7 down and that says a lot about him. Before the tournament I tipped him to win it, and having got through that one, it's difficult to see him losing.

"He's a similar sort of character to Peter Edbon: he'll never throw in the towel and always believe he can still win it. That is something that has been instilled in him since he was a kid.

"That is what you need in snooker. A lot of players crack when they reach the Crucible - that is something Murphy will never do.

"One thing to consider though - last night he had Selby on the ropes and that might have a bearing on what happens today."

Leicester cue-man Selby was 5-1 down as his Rotherham-based opponent continued to show fine form, but clawed his way back into the match.

"To get out 5-3 down, Selby must feel like he's 6-2 up," Hendon continued. "He didn't play well at all, he missed lots of key balls and he still managed to get those three frames on the board.

"I still think Murphy will pull away; but if he doesn't, he will look back at that session and think he lost it there."

In the other all-Scottish semi-final, John Higgins and Stephen Maguire are level-pegging after the first eight frames. Our man Hendon believes that Maguire - who has an abrasive history with Murphy dating back to 2004 - has what it takes to reach his first final.

"I think Maguire is going to win," he commented. "He's playing his best snooker since he won the UK title, which was November and December in 2004. For whatever reason his form went over the last two years; but when he plays well, he carries it through.

"I got the sense yesterday that Higgins was holding on, just about managing to stay level. But Maguire still has a lot to come.

"It is good to see him playing well. He has as much talent as Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan. He's showing that now.

"A Murphy-Maguire final would be tremendous. There is an edge between them. They played in the Welsh Open final in February and after Maguire won it he said: 'It's well known that I can't stand him.'

"It would be a genuine grudge match - there's nothing wrong with rivalry in sport, it adds something.

"These two are of similar age and represent the new snooker players - and to face off in the World Championship final would be the biggest occasion possible."