Murphy & Wu level after first session of world final

Shaun Murphy recovered from 3-0 down draw level at 4-4 against Wu Yize in the first session of their World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

The showpiece match was briefly interrupted in the third frame when a spectator jumped over the barrier on the front row.

The woman was prevented from making any further progress towards the table by referee Rob Spencer before security escorted her out of the venue.

It is not the first time there has been a disruption to this year's tournament. There were several instances of shouting out during Wu's semi-final match against Mark Allen, while fans have repeatedly been warned about phone usage.

At that stage Wu, who is bidding to replace Murphy as the second-youngest Crucible champion, was in charge.

The 22-year-old continued from where he left off against Allen on Saturday evening, with breaks of 51 and 61 helping him establish a healthy early advantage.

However, Murphy took the final frame before the mid-session interval with a run of 85 and then began to impose himself on the contest.

The Englishman is aiming to set a new record for the longest gap between first and second titles, with it being 21 years since he triumphed on snooker's grandest stage.

He restricted Wu to just 25 points across four frames as he responded in style with a flurry of big breaks - with runs of 98, 77 and a superb 109 earning him a 4-3 lead.

Wu, who is the third Chinese player to reach the world final after 2016 runner-up Ding Junhui and last year's champion Zhao Xintong, broke down on 65 while appearing to go for a maximum 147 break in the eighth frame but it did not prove costly as he restored parity.

Analysis - 'Murphy dug himself out of hole'

Ken Doherty, 1997 world champion, speaking on BBC One:

It was important for Wu to win that last frame. He'd made a 65 break, was going for the maximum and went for a risky black. There was plenty of danger when he missed it and it could have cost him, but he'll be very relieved to get out at 4-4.

Overall, Shaun will be happy to get out at 4-4. At 3-0 down, Shaun was all at sea and fighting with himself when he was in the chair.

But he dug himself out of a hole, started to play really well and he might say he could have won the session, but I think both players will be happy in different ways.