Graeme Dott in control over Mark Selby
Graeme Dott extended his lead at the half way mark of the semi-final of the snooker world championship to 10-6 over Mark Selby after having a 5-3 lead overnight.
Dott was in first in the opening frame of the afternoon. A missed red into the bottom left pocket after a break of 49. Selby replied with a break of 54, but missed the final red with the rest, allowing Dott to pounce and lead 6-3.
The Scotsman started the second frame with a good opening red and followed it with a long distance green to make a break of 66. He looked on course for the frame but the attempt at frame ball was missed. After a safety exchange, Dott made a foul by potting the cueball and Selby came back with a superb counter clearance of 67 and pinch the frame.
The Jester from Leicester was in first in the next frame with a break of 25 but a red intercepted the path for the black for him to break down. A poor safety escape allowed Selby to win the frame with a break of 51.
Another long bout of safety followed in the next frame, and it was Selby who had the first chance, but he failed to get onto a colour after he potted a difficult red. Dott made a frame winning clearance of 84 to open up a two frame lead at 7-5 at the interval.
After the interval, Dott fired a long distance red into the bottom right pocket after he was tight on the cushion from Selby’s break off to make his first century of the semi-final, and equal the highest break of the tournament, a 146, and lead 8-5. Selby came back in the next frame to go two behind again.
In the next, Selby broke down on a break of 51 after he missed a simple red into the middle pocket, and Dott was able to pinch a very important frame and win it on the final pink.
In the final frame of the session, Selby, possibly distracted by a mobile phone going off, attempted a long red but caught it much too thick, and that allowed the 2006 world champion to make an 86 and lead by four frames.
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