World Snooker Championship: Mark Selby puts pressure on Ronnie O’Sullivan in semi-final

Selby trailed 5-3 from Wednesday’s action, but takes the first four frames of the resumption
In the other semi-final, Wilson lagged McGill 6-2 overnight, but moved into a 13-11 lead

World Snooker

Agence France-Presse

Published: 10:20am, 14 Aug 2020

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Mark Selby piled the pressure on Ronnie O’Sullivan as he hit back to take a 9-7 lead in their World Snooker Championship semi-final on Thursday.

Selby trailed 5-3 from Wednesday’s action, but he took the first four frames of the resumption before holding his nerve to open up a two-frame lead at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Five-time champion O’Sullivan, who had been unhappy with the amount of bad 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.

Selby eventually got the better of a prolonged bout of safety play to edge himself to within a single frame of O’Sullivan.

Ronnie O’Sullivan leads Mark Selby in semi-final despite humidity complaint

They were level after the next when three-time champion Selby put together a break of 97, his highest of the match.

O’Sullivan’s fluency had deserted him and having been among the balls twice only to miss blue and then black, he saw Selby clinch a fourth successive frame to take a 6-5 lead after sinking a fine long red.

O’Sullivan was left rapping his knuckles on the table in frustration 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.

In the other semi-final, Kyren Wilson led Anthony McGill 13-11.

Wilson had trailed 6-2 overnight in the best of 33-frame clash.

McGill enjoyed his best break of the tournament – 136 – in the final frame of the day.

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