Ronnie O'Sullivan & Mark Selby deadlocked
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby are tied at 4-4 after the first session in the quarter-final of the snooker world championship.
A long and scrappy opening frame resulted in O’Sullivan taking it, but that seemed to have taken a lot out of him, as Selby came back with a break of 84 in the second to level as O’Sullivan’s mind looked elsewhere. The Rocket continued to miss easy balls, and Selby pounced again, this time making a break of 71 to lead 2-1. A scrappy frame before the mid-session interval saw both players have chances to clinch it, but it was O’Sullivan who at the third time of asking squared the tie again. A break of 90 put Selby 3-2 in front after the break, and he looked to take control of the match.
A missed black from Selby after he split all the reds allowed O’Sullivan to level again with a 67 break. O’Sullivan was in amongst the balls in the next frame, but he chipped the cueball and Selby came in with a 40, but broke down. O’Sullivan took a risky green down the cushion, which was frame ball, but he left the ball in the jaws and Selby was able to clear all the colours and pinch the frame. O’Sullivan then took the final frame of the session after making an 82 break that began with a tough red along the bottom cushion.
They play the second session tomorrow at 2.30pm.
In the other quarter-final match, the 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy has a 5-3 lead over Ali Carter. Murphy took the opening frame with a well-constructed 70 break, and then he took the second on the black. Murphy was playing the better snooker and deserved his lead. Carter’s 51 helped him to make the score 2-1, and then he took the next after potting a brave black into the top right pocket.
Murphy came out firing after the interval and took the next three frames, scoring 257 points to Carter’s 84. The 2008 runner-up at The Crucible didn’t give in, and he took the final frame of the session.
They return for the second session at 10am tomorrow morning.
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