Mark Selby sinks John Higgins to join Si Jiahui in World Snooker Championship semis

Mark Selby will face Mark Allen in the World Championship semi-finals are seeing off John Higgins in Sheffield, while Chinese youngster Si Jiahui stunned Anthony McGill at The Crucible.

Having resumed 9-5 ahead, world number two Selby took three of the first four frames with impressive breaks of 64, 67 and 91.

Higgins then made a superb break of 102 but Selby replied with a 67 as he sealed victory and a place in the last four.

Earlier on Wednesday, Allen claimed a hard-fought 13-10 victory over Jak Jones to reach the last four for the first time since 2009.

Allen's meeting with Selby is certainly an intriguing proposition between two of the form players of the season.

The Northern Irishman's three major ranking titles this season have moved him up to third in the world rankings, while Selby, the current number two, won the English Open in December and World Snooker Tour Classic in March.

They have each won 11 of their 22 previous meetings but Selby appears to be peaking at just the right time, while Allen admitted he struggled in his win over Jones.

Speaking after his win over Higgins, Selby told BBC Sport: "I thought I played faultless really from the start.

"When I feel like I have had to do it [answer questions], I have done it which has been pleasing because that has been missing for a little while and only gives me confidence."

Si and McGill went into their final session level at 8-8 and the momentum shifted from the Scot, who went 11-9 ahead, back to Si, who made a break of 87 on his way to winning three consecutive frames to move within one of victory at 12-11.

McGill then countered by producing his first century of the match with an exceptional run of 130. However, he then gifted his 20-year-old opponent the opportunity to make a telling 41 break after missing a pot to the bottom corner playing left-handed.

And while the Scot initially played on for three snookers it proved enough for Si to become only the second player from mainland China after Ding Junhui to reach the semi-finals in Sheffield. He is also the first debutant to reach that stage since 1995.

Si, who is also the youngest semi-finalist since O'Sullivan in 1996, said: "I feel very lucky because there were times I didn't think I could win.

"I kept it tight and kept my nerves under control. I just wanted to concentrate to perform under this extreme pressure. My mindset changed but I held myself together very well."