Protester covers pool table with orange powder during world championships
Mark Selby and Luca Brecel will complete their battle to win the 2023 World Snooker Championship today at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, as they continue their final in balance.
Selby made history on Sunday night when he became the first man to make a maximum break of 147 in the world final in emotional and jubilant scenes at the Crucible during the second session of the best-of-35 contest. The four-time world champion he also used that moment in history to help close his deficit to 9-8 overnight to leave the game tantalizingly set up for Monday’s finale.
Selby reached the final by beating Mark Allen in a fight on Saturday night that didn’t end until 12:47 am, while Brecel made a stunning comeback to knock out China’s Si Jiahui in the semifinal stage. And it was Brecel who started the final quickest, taking a 6-2 lead going into Sunday’s session, but Selby is known for his sheer determination and he fought to reduce the gap to just one frame late in the game.
The 39-year-old has four world titles to his name and could become just the fourth player in the Crucible era to win a fifth, following the path of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan. A fifth crown would cement Selby as one of the game’s greats, but standing in his way is the extremely talented Belgian Brecel, who at 28 is beginning to find the best form of his career. Brecel dispatched pre-tournament favorite O’Sullivan in the quarterfinals and his confidence seems bulletproof when he takes on his granite opponent.
Follow all the action at the Crucible Theater with our live blog below:
Selby 10-13 Brecel
Brecel is completely unfazed and takes advantage of Selby’s break with a long range dribble. A couple more reds are available before an excellent shot on the black bounces the white into the pack and further splits the pack for the Belgian who is in his ’40s.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:40
Selby 10-13 Brecel – consecutive frames for Selby
Another long frame and another that crucially goes Selby’s way. He makes a small mistake with the rose, but Brecel, who needs a billiards, accidentally pokes the rose trying to set it up.
The gap is back to three now and Selby will believe again: his experience has come to light in the last hour, can he go ahead and close the gap further?
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:35
Selby 9-13 Brecel
Selby completely misses on a long-range red, but it’s a great recovery for snooker Brecel with his next effort. The Belgian makes contact with the red on the deflected shot, but ends up just over the top left pocket. Selby makes no mistake and hits him and now he must go on to close out this crucial frame.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:30
Selby 9-13 Brecel
And now a mistake from Selby. Brecel leaves him in snooker after an excellent snooker and the Englishman fouls the black and gives away seven points. He hits it on the second try, but Brecel goes rogue with an obtainable shot in the top right corner. Nervous couple things.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:24
Selby 9-13 Brecel
Selby does well to leave just one red with a break of 54. He leaves Brecel with a tricky shot on the final red, but it’s an excellent deflected shot from the Belgian to escape a tricky position. Finally balanced on the final red in this painting.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:20
Selby 9-13 Brecel
Brecel has a chance on a red but is unable to take it and now it is Selby who battles his way back into the frame with a well timed dribble into the left center pocket. However, there is still a lot of work to be done for ‘The Jester’ to win the frame from this point.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:14
Selby 9-13 Brecel
An early miss by Selby in the sixth frame of the day gives Brecel an early start in this frame. He splits the pack well, but runs out of options and has to settle for an opening break of 41 with the cue ball well guarded at the other end of the table.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:08
Selby 9-13 Brecel – Selby gives a claw to one
Brecel can’t find another snooker and Selby is finally able to lay down the final red and win his first frame of the day. It is the longest frame of today’s action, but very necessary for ‘The Jester’. He has the experience over Brecel in games like these and taking him into deep water with those longer, mentally demanding frames may be just the way he needs to put some pressure on the Belgian Bullet.
ben fleming1 May 2023 15:00
Selby 8-13 Brecel
Brecel makes another small mistake and this time it is Selby who manages to snooker the Belgian. With the penalty, it is Brecel, once again, who needs a snooker in the final red to win the frame.
ben fleming1 May 2023 14:57
Selby 8-13 Brecel
This framework is getting very nervous. Brecel leaves Selby with two looks at the final red but the Englishman can’t take advantage – the battle continues…
ben fleming1 May 2023 14:54
