The four-time world champion will start the match as favourite against someone who hadn't won a Crucible match before this year's tournament. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The game ended with a final score of 6-1, where Ronnie O Sullivan won straight 6 frames. Session 1:21-104 (56), 72-5 (72), 4-137 (102), 25-8276-62 (MS 62, ROS 58), 17-97 (50), 0-119 (77)37-90Session 2:0-129 (78, 51), 96-40 (62), 45-83 (61)64-76 (76, 64). Mark Williams (2005) Ronnie OSullivan (2008) Mark Selby 5-7 Luca Brecel. But when it gets ugly and it will can his game and his mind stand up to the forensic examination Selby is sure to provide? Embracing reality TV is something the pair have both done. But at least one of them must before the champion is crowned on May 2nd. Here's your semi-final line-up and today's timings Si Jiahui is the youngest World Snooker Championship semi-finalist for 27 years. However, Day needed to beat Selby to stay in the running for an automatic Crucible spot since Ding was victorious over Mark Allen earlier in the week. OSullivan also compiled three centuries and was strong in all areas of his game in dispatching Gilbert. Away from the baize, the pair lead different lifestyles. But there's still plenty of time in that clash Shaun Murphy's clash with Si Jiahui is the only first-round tie left now with the match finely poised at 4-5 in favour of the Chinese player. Remember, this is his debut at the Crucible and he becomes the first player to reach the final four at his first Worlds for 28 years. Play gets back underway from 10am this morning with Luca Brecel and Mark Williams resuming their second-round match at 4-4. OSullivan v Selby is a much more even contest, particularly in the big matches. Mark Selby turned the tables on a frustrated Ronnie OSullivan as he fought back to take a 9-7 lead in the world championship semi-finals at the Crucible in Sheffield. By 16, he had turned professional, by 21 he was the youngest ever World Champion - and well on his way to making his now 12.5million fortune. Ronnie OSullivan, 47, and Stephen Hendry dominated the game in their respective eras. Selby is sure to double-down on his approach, reckoning that not even a talent as bright as Brecel can keep making long pots if the white is consistently glued to baulk cushion. He no longer makes tournaments entirely about the snooker, although he remains fiercely competitive in the arena. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Go.Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Hossein Vafaei is live!\ud83d\udcfa @BBCSport | @discoveryplusUK | #CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/Jci8Dmmdl2. 'It was good to give the crowd some banter back. (modern). He made it a clean sweep before the mid-session interval after OSullivan had once again got in first, but it was Selby who faltered on the resumption as his opponent took full advantage of a poor attempt at a red to rattle in a decisive 87 and pull it back to 7-6. Jak Jones and Neil Robertson will be on the other table for the start of their tie. WebWorld Championship qarter-finals resume at the Crucible Theatre. Remove ranting managers from the touchline and put them in the stands 'No-one is falling for your sanitised, vanilla PR guff any more! Running has brought some much needed sanity to his life. He threw himself into the party lifestyle, falling foul of "dangerous" nights out with the Oasis singer, as he called them. Selby can be closed off in interviews, perhaps not enjoying the scrutiny, but in private is one of the most popular players on tour, making time for everyone and far more relaxed than when holding a microphone. Even someone as strong as John Higgins collapsed under it in the 2017 final, so do not underestimate what is coming Brecel's way. Luca Brecel and Mark Selby will contest the Cazoo World Snooker Championship final and our guide includes tournament statistics, head-to-head records, how they got here, betting tips plus TV details of when and where to watch. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Wilson's brilliant maximum break sees him become just the 13th player in the history of the Crucible to manage a 147. Ronnie passes a spotted black and presents his foe with a chance to finish the frame. It's something he enjoyed so much, back in 2017 he considered dropping out of the World Championships to film a new series. Milkins has however won three of four frames this morning and 'The Milkman' is on the charge. Very high standard of the final with six centuries and another ten 50+ breaks. Mark Selby vs Luca Brecel head-to-head In all competitions, Mark Selby leads the head-to-head with Luca Brecel 8-3. Selbys strike-rate in all finals is now a thing of legend, but at the Crucible, over four sessions, he is virtually unbeatable. Selby will be braced for the inevitable Brecel storm, but hell bank on being able to weather it, just as he did in the early throes of his match with John Higgins, or when Allen was on the cusp of leading 7-3 before Selby pulled off a Houdini act to begin the turnaround. I'm fresh and looking forward to it.". THEY are the two greatest snooker players of all-time. 19:00. The World Snooker Championship has reached its climax, with Luca Brecel and Mark Selby the last two men standing as they prepare to battle it out in the final over two days at the Crucible. Another century, another frame. Ronnie OSullivan established a lead over Luca Brecel in his quarter-final earlier on Tuesday Hendry was, by admission, a 'boring' winning machine. Human beings are more complex than this. Anthony McGill and John Higgins are also in action a little later this afternoon - and we're be bringing you all the live scores from every match so make sure you stick around! Hes playing the best snooker of his career and enjoying the ride of his life. Selby was showing signs of exhaustion following his epic 17-15 semi-final defeat of Robertson the previous night and was there for the taking. The frame is turning into a war of attirition, with the duo waiting for the other to make the first killer error. Mark Allen took the final frame against Jak Jones to level the scores at 4-4. He enjoyed advantages but also suffered from personal turmoil which spilled out into the public arena at a young age. Now, they are on collision course again, the top two seeds this year. Good morning! Refuse very little, back his natural game and keep potting and scoring. A break of 61 following a missed blue by OSullivan proved sufficient for Selby to restore his two-frame advantage but, after he had left a difficult red in the middle in the 15th, OSullivan compiled a run of 82 without reply to peg him back once again. He was left rapping his knuckles on the table, however, after failing to drop a difficult pink as the session drew to a close, in the process handing Selby the opportunity to make it 9-7 with a break of 76. There is no such thing as a free shot at a world final, and nobody in his situation would feel like they have nothing to lose, but Selby is widely expected to win his fifth title and he, not Brecel, is the man of whom expectations are greatest. His long game is better right now and confidence will not hold him back. The criticism he gets for playing to his own strengths rather than OSullivans is laughable. Robertson was fortunate not to have gone down 4-0 against the Welshman, but his largest break of the match helped him turn things around. Mark Williams, Ronnie Hossein Vafaei bedded away the final pink to put a second frame on the board for the day's play. A long way to go still but Shaun Murphy and Steve Davis are far from impressed by what they've seen so far. It happened again in the classic semi-final in 2020 Ive already referenced, at one stage trailing 16-14 and seemingly running out of answers. The great Ronnie OSullivan managed it in the last four in 2020, but he needed one of his best ever late shows and a huge slice of good fortune to prevail in an epic contest. As Mark Allen found out in their semi-final, even a prolific winner and a fine tactician will come up short when trying to beat Selby at his own game. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Selby won't be done just yet and will look to hit back when play gets back underway tomorrow afteroon at 2:30pm. He once told the Big Issue: "I looked at Jimmy White gambling, drinking and going to nightclubs and thought it looked glamorous. Action gets back underway in just over an hour's time. He had never lost in a world final before and it hit him hard. Round 2. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. "There were distractions everywhere if you wanted to go down that route. Brecel is full of confidence and is entitled to feel an air of invincibility having appeared dead and buried more than once in the last two weeks. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Higgins will take an 8-0 lead into this evening's session after winning every frame in the morning session. Mark Selby made the first maximum break in a World Snooker Championship final as he reeled off the final three frames of an exhilarating opening day to trail If its not broken, dont fix it, and he is sure to stick with the tried and tested method that has carried him this far. He had been the best player for 16 days but lost on the 17th. This year, Ronnie OSullivan left the pre-tournament controversy to someone else. And above all else, he knows he cant beat Selby in a dogfight over four sessions at the Crucible. Not many times at the Crucible has a player overturned such a deficit and Lisowski has given himself a lot to do to save this match after struggling to get going today. Others will see it differently, and Im very much in that camp. Yet O'Sullivan was one of a string of upsets in the competition. Former champions Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams all crashed out early though Mark Selby's quest for snooker's greatest crown is still firmly on. In the crowd is no other than Manchester United legend Roy Keane, who rose to his feet to applaud Selby before taking his seat again to observe the remainder of the final. The task ahead of Brecel is just about as significant as anything in snooker, but he might not get a better chance. These two exceptional champions are very different characters from markedly contrasting backgrounds. Selby's maximum made it 9-7 and he stuck his tongue out after potting the final pink, before punching the air as he sunk the black, then hugging Brecel and referee Brendan Moore, officiating in his last ever match. It was an extraordinary effort from Selby, especially as he had begun this final just 12 hours after completing his marathon semi-final win over Mark Allen. Luca Brecel v Mark Selby: Routes to the final LUCA BRECEL. Ronnie O'Sullivan recovered from the brink of defeat to beat Mark Selby 17-16 and set up a World Championship final against Kyren Wilson. R1: 10-9 v Ricky Walden; R2: 13-11 v Mark Williams; QF: 13-10 v Ronnie O'Sullivan; SF: 17-15 v Si Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. OSullivan may not see it that way. Ronnie O'Sullivan's rival Hossein Vafaei has been accused of being 'disrespectful' after a strange break-off shot during their match on Friday. Play resumes on Saturday afternoon and victory shall be on cards providing he can win seven of the eight frames. Championship League - Group 5 (10-11 Feb 2021) Grp: Ronnie O'Sullivan: 3-1: I saw the huge drinking culture. The morning session is finished with Robertson pulling off an impressive fightback to level his second-round match against Jones at 4-4. That bad session that had previously held Brecel back for so long might just come back to haunt him in the final, and its there when things could unravel. Well those opening four frames certainly caught the eye! Play gets underway in just under an hour's time with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Allen both kicking us off on a bumper day of snooker. The Belgian Bullet produced the greatest-ever Crucible Kyren Wilson took control against Anthony McGill to establish a 13-11 lead. Watch the clearance The next two matches of the day - also both in the first round - see Judd Trump look to overturn his 6-3 deficit to Anthony McGill and Mark Selby take on Matthew Selt. The pair have faced each other 11 times previously including in last year's English Open final, which Selby won 9-6. Brecel produced surely the finest comeback in Crucible history to beat Si Jiahui 17-15, having at one stage trailed 14-5 before reeling off 11 frames in succession. Yet this is a rivalry with several chapters still to be written. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. O'Sullivan misses a long red but Brecel can onyl produce a lacklusre missed response poor, offering another chance to win the frame. Mark Selby - 7/2 John Higgins vs Mark Selby. Head-to-head \ud83d\udea8 Kyren Wilson makes a 147 at the World Championship \ud83d\udea8That's just the 13th maximum break in Crucible history!Tremendous work from the Warrior \ud83d\udc4f@WeAreWST | @KyrenWilson pic.twitter.com/SCSu9Qj6nx. Perhaps that makes Brecel an even more dangerous animal than he has been already. Most recently they played in the 2022 English Open final, with Selby winning 9-6. As that chapter of his life ended, Hendry handed Amanda their 1.2million sprawling estate in Auchterarder, Perthshire, as part of their divorce settlement. Gary Neville reveals 'insight' on why Erik ten Hag is not picking Man Utd star, Sheikh Jassim wants 200m star as his Man Utd 'marquee signing', Jurgen Klopp hits back at Ryan Mason & makes top four prediction after Liverpool 4-3 Spurs. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Last year's World Championship win at 46 years and 148 days eclipsed previous oldie Ray Reardon's record, who was 45 years and 203 days old when he claimed the title. O'Sullivan makes a 29 break before shuffling his pack and playing a safety, leaving the white ball up the table. In all competitions, Mark Selby leads the head-to-head with Luca Brecel 8-3. \ud83e\udd17Ronnie O'Sullivan v Hossein Vafaei ends on a note of mutual respect \ud83d\ude4c@WeAreWST | #CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/e94AVa1nrC. 'That red with the rest on 72 was where it could have gone wrong. We. 0.5pts Mark Selby to win 18-14 at 11/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook), 0.5pts Mark Selby to win 18-15 at 11/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook), Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook. The 39-year-old then composed himself to win the final frame of the night and he will go into Monday's action as the favourite to claim his fifth Crucible crown. His attacking game has been streets ahead of where Selbys appears to be at. In three tight frame, it is the Scotsman who has won every one to leave Mark Selby frustrated. We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. And with that, Tuesday's action comes to an end. All rights reserved. Ronnie, who also made his debut at the tender age of 16, was 25 when he was victorious in Sheffield for the first time. Elsewhere, Kyren Wilson goes into the break 6-3 up on Ryan Day. McGill was four frames ahead overnight but won five of the 16 played on Thursday to leave himself with an uphill battle. Mark Allen is into the quarter-final after defeating Stuart Bingham 13-4. The interest is understandable, however. Vafaei was slammed by Steve Davis for the 'embarrassing' shot while commentator John Virgo said it was 'disrespectful'. OSullivan and Selby are the best of enemies, two sides of the same snooker coin. When OSullivan appeared to have him cornered at 10-6 in the quarter-finals, the Belgian reeled off seven frames on the spin to stun the defending champion. Selby to win 18-13, 18-14 and 18-15 appear most likely. In the evening he was on course for a 147 until he missed the seventh red into the corner. Well ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. I feel like I've paced myself pretty well this year. There's a long way to go but you feel like this is already slipping away from Wilson. All rights reserved. Wilson is now in big trouble, not sure how he gets back into this from here Not sure what Kyren Wilson has done to deserve this but he's really not getting the rub of the green here. He's won five frames on the bounce to take a 9-3 lead with only four more needed to book his place in the quarter-finals. While Rocket has just as many wins at the Crucible, following last year's epic World Championship win. There are few better than Selby at absorbing pressure and limiting the damage when the going is tough, but should Brecel go missing, hell pounce like the predator he is. In the other quarter-final, it's all square with McGill and Jiahui winning eight frames each. Brecel was at it again in his Two tight frames were exchanged in which Wilson rediscovered his free-flowing style before the interval with a break of 116, giving him the lead for the first time. World Snooker Championship LIVE: Latest scores and results as Mark Selby takes on John Higgins. But for many of us, the contrasts between these two giants of the sport make for compelling viewing whenever they clash cues. Mark Allen is just one frame away from going through to the semi-finals and is currently leading Jak Jones 12-10. O'Sullivan continues to hold an advantage with a 45 point lead. "Not practising, and even after I beat Mark Williams [in the second round] I got home at 7am by car, and then we went out again until 5 or 6 in the morning, drunk as hell. Add to that, Brecel looks much stronger a few months on. Selby's 147 stole the show but Brecel will still be pleased with his performance in his maiden final. It's proving to be a cracker of a match between Shaun Murphy and Si Jiahui with the Chinese star winning 7-6 at the moment. Both players are expected at the table in little under 30 minutes. If his 147 is not equalled by any other player at this year's Worlds, that moment will net Wilson an extra 55,000. Hendry, on the other hand, ventured completely out of his comfort zone when he appeared on The Masked Singer. But having also fallen 9-5 behind in the evening, he clawed his way back. Before that, O'Sullivan was in a relationship with Sally Magnus, who gave birth to his first child, Taylor-Ann. Selby had not played for two months before his opening day match with Jones, having taken time out due to his mental health issues, but made three centuries in winning 10-7. McGill still won the frame comfortably but a missed black in the next allowed Wilson to make a decisive 99 break, with only a failed yellow denying him his third century of the match. And it hasn't helped his cause either with Ronnie O'Sullivan cruising at 3-1. Bizarre day for snooker fans at the Crucible provides dose of new normal | Aaron Bower, Ronnie O'Sullivan leads Mark Selby in semi-final hit by 'worst kicks ever', Williams hits back at 'unfair' O'Sullivan comments after losing Crucible classic, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. O'Sullivan lost seven frames in a row, what a terrible afternoon for the Rocket. But it's disappointment for The Rocket's Aussie rival Neil Robertson. Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. As they head off to the mid-session interval, Mark Selby takes the session 3-1. With a free spirit and all the aggression that sits in stark contrast to Selbys more cautious approach, Brecel produced possibly the greatest ever comeback seen at the World Championship when recovering from 14-5 down to beat Si Jiahui in the semi-finals on Saturday. OSullivan, who had been decidedly unhappy with the amount of kicks he had suffered on Wednesday, was left shaking his head again as another cost him an easy black when he was in pole position to take the first frame. Im not sure Brecel will be worrying too much about that. In Australia and the US, Ronnie starred in Hustle - a show that explores the history of pool. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Ronnie O'Sullivan celebrates winning his seventh World Championship, Stephen Hendry dominated snooker in the 1990s and won at the Crucible a record seven times, Stephen Hendry accrued a huge wealth from snooker - making around 12.5m, Hendry was the straight-laced face of snooker, Self-confessed caner O'Sullivan embraced the party lifestyle with pals like Ronnie Wood, Today, O'Sullivan is teetotal and a devoted runner, Hendry split with first wife Mandy after admitting having an affair with Lauren Thundow, Thundow, right, is 20-years younger than Hendry, O'Sullivan is still together with actress Laila Rouass, Stephen Hendry embraced reality TV on The Masked Singer, O'Sullivan recently filmed a warts-and-all documentary about his life, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). A nerveless, match-winning break in the deciding frame against Ricky Walden set the ball rolling, and having watched Mark Williams reel him in the second round, Brecel responded with two more brilliant, attacking breaks to win 13-11. WebRonnie wins the game after an under par first frame. His 30th World Championship campaign began at the weekend. 'I wasn't thinking about the maximum until I got to 72. Brecel has revealed his party-heavy routing before the World Championship. Mark Selby turned the tables on a frustrated Ronnie O'Sullivan as he fought back to take a 9-7 lead in their World Snooker Championship semi-final. Watch - O'Sullivan referred to disciplinary committee after lewd gesture at Crucible, The competition at the year's final is fierce between four in-form players. Selby had to rely on charity to play snooker growing up. Watch the World Championship and other top snooker live on Eurosport and, Selby: Opening up about suicidal thoughts and getting help was biggest achievement, You cant predict what hes going to do OSullivan on how Brecel is beating Selby. But he did what he does: doggedly hanging on to win the last two frames of the night. Referee: Leo ScullionThis was Selby's 19th ranking title. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. There's only one more second-round match to go now with Anthony McGill on the verge of beating Jack Lisowski. WebTest your knowledge on the head-to-head of two of snooker's biggest rivals (Dec 2016) Quizzes; Events; Quiz Creation; Community; Videos; SporcleCon; Remove Ads Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Selby Test your knowledge on the head-to-head of two of snooker's biggest rivals (Dec 2016) By SnookerHQ. Dont get dragged into a war, always choose the aggressive safety shot, hitting the pack thick to get the balls out in the open, and keep going for your pots. Your IP: Don't miss World Championship security ramped up as Higgins fears worse protests [PROTESTS] Ronnie O'Sullivan's has net worth more than Robertson and Williams [NET WORTH] Inside O'Sullivan's 'incredible story' as new doc shows Crucible win [FOOTAGE], "I've not collapsed, or lost the plot, but stayed in a good place and at some point, I'll just let the snooker gods take over. The two were present last year when their dad achieved his record -equalling feat at the World Championships. The second seed lost the first three frames against Brecel on Sunday and was 6-2 down after the afternoon session.