Shaun Murphy powered to a 17-15 victory over John Higgins to reach his fifth World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The Englishman will face either Wu Yize or Mark Allen in his bid to collect a second title, 21 years on from his first - having finished as the runner-up on his three previous appearances in the showpiece match. The first of those was in 2009 at the hands of the four-time champion, Higgins, who ran out a comfortable 18-9 winner. There was considerably more tension this time around and, more importantly for Murphy, no repeat of the outcome as he roared back from a 13-11 overnight deficit. He opened with sensational breaks of 132 and 127 and looked to be in his element as he stomped around the auditorium. But his fast start was initially made to count for nothing as Higgins, who was barely afforded any table time in those frames, exhibited the resolve and superb fighting qualities that have underscored his glittering career.…