John Higgins has secured a place in this year’s World Championship final after he proved too strong for a defiant Kyren Wilson.

John Higgins. Picture by Monique Limbos

Higgins is through to his second successive world final after his 17-13 win against the 26-year-old Englishman.

The Scot is one win away from winning his fifth World Championship title and in making up for last year where he agonisingly lost in the final to Mark Selby.

Higgins dominated the semi-final all the way through but Wilson – playing in a World Championship semi-final for the first time – kept plugging away to keep himself in the contest.

Leading 13-11 going into today’s final and crucial session, Higgins ensured victory with breaks of 136, 100 and 98 to reach his seventh final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Higgins has won the World Championship four times and will join only a select few of great names to have a won the World Championship five times should he get that further win on Monday. Only Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Ronnie O’Sullivan have lifted the World Championship at least five times at the Crucible Theatre.

His triumphs have come in 1998 (beat Ken Doherty 18-12), 2007 (beat Mark Selby 18-13), 2009 (beat Shaun Murphy 18-9) and 2011 (beat Judd Trump 18-15).

Higgins will meet either Barry Hawkins or Mark Williams in this year’s final.