Snooker

Luca knocked in two great pots to start a break but the longer it went, the more he was struggling for position but Si couldn't take full advantage and broke down on 40 after he didn't land on the final red when he tried to knock it off the cushion. Played a blinding snooker and Luca played as good an escape after it.

Si went for a difficult pot on the final red and missed, left Brecel an equally difficult pot and he knocked his in and cleared the colours up.

Fantastic achievement from 14-5 down to win 17-15 and reach his first World final.

If these two are the future of snooker then it looks like we're in good hands.

Selby looking in control here

Mark Allen's safety play has been poor this session

I'm really enjoying this game between Selby and Allen, what I think is brilliant in Snooker is how they get the cue ball back into a position to pot the next shot - superb stuff.

Allen asking a few questions now but still think he left too much to do

Credit to Allen for making a fight of it but leaving yourself needing to win 7 frames on the spin against somebody like Selby is asking too much in my opinion.

But it's not over yet, so he has to believe that he'll get chances.

One more on the board for Allen, just two behind now.

16-14

What a frame that was. I can't go to bed now, I'm engrossed in this game.

Game on!! Can Allen do it?

Selby certainly had his chances to win the match in this frame but spurned the lot of them and Allen gets to just one behind now. But how the F**k did that yellow go in when he caught so much of the green on the way through?

16-15

And whoever wins this match, will be starting the final in just over 12 hours time.

Mark Selby has finally got over the line and we have our 2023 World Final.

Mark Selby v Luca Brecel

What a great semi final that was, some superb play by both men.

Time to settle down to watch the final.

Threw a fiver on Selby to win 18-7.

A nice fluke to opening the scoring in the final but Luca took the rest of his break with great fluency. He's started this match in the best way possible.

1-0 Brecel.

Fantastic long red to get in again for Luca, followed by a very tricky brown into the middle. And it was probably one of the best 21 break you'll ever see in terms of pots. But after missing a difficult red into the top pocket, he left Selby a chance but the four time World champ could only muster one point after missing the brown.

Both players then had chances but broke down for different reasons, Luca ran out of position and Selby missed a black off it's spot (similar to the one he missed against Allen last night)

Baring snookers, it's 2-0 Brecel.

Selby got the snooker he needed, frame back in the balance.

It is 2-0 Brecel after a long safety battle that included great play from both. Selby then potted the final red but left himself on no easy colour, so when he missed the blue left himself needing another snooker. Luca doubled the yellow to basically end the frame and double his lead.

Selby got in first in the third frame but then missed another black off it's spot and after a fantastic opening red from Brecel, he proceeded to extend his lead to three frames in front.

3-0 Brecel.

Selby in first again in the fourth frame but never opened up the pack and eventually ran out of loose reds. Couple of safety shots from both before Selby missed a long red and left Luca an easy starter. He broke down on 38 though and left Selby a great opportunity to get his first frame on the board as we go into the mid-session interval.

3-1 Brecel.

What a F***ing time to make a maximum, in the final of the World Championships.

Well done Mark Selby.

Still behind by two though, 9-7 to Brecel.

Fantastic opening day to the final. Parrott said it right, it's had everything and it's been one of the best World finals in recent years.

Luca will be made up to be leading but by just one frame after this afternoon's session when he led 6-2 will be a bit disappointing for the Belgian. I think the end of this session has come at the right time for him because he's just starting to play a few poor shots and being punished for them - especially in that final frame of the day. For Selby, to be just one behind will leave him absolutely buzzing. Obviously the maximum will be the big talking point but just in general, Selby has started to get stronger as the days gone on and he'll be fancying his chances of overturning the one frame deficit to go and win his 5th World Title.

A poor safety from Brecel let Selby in but a poor positional shot from him saw his break come to an end at 24, while leaving a red over the bottom pocket to give Luca an easy starter. He then went on to make a century to win the opening frame of the session and extend his lead back to two in front.

10-8

Two sizeable breaks from Luca and some very impressive safety play has seen Brecel go three ahead.

11-8 to Brecel.

Selby in first but after going into the pack didn't land nicely on a red and missed a tricky one into the middle, leaving Brecel to clear up with his second century in these opening three frames of the afternoon. H's back to four in front and now the next frame is huge for Selby before the mid-session interval.

12-8 to Brecel.

A missed long red from Selby left Luca a couple of options, took the more difficult red and landed perfectly on the black and then done what he's done all afternoon - played fantastic snooker, potted a number of top quality shots and scored a century. Five in front going into the mid-session interval.

Four frames played today, all four gone to the Belgian and three of them with century breaks. Can't ask for much more.

13-8 to Brecel.

Poor safety from Brecel, allows Selby to get in first in this frame. Didn't win it just one visit and got to snookers required on his second try. Luca got the snooker then Selby fluked a snooker after missing the final red by a long way. Selby got Brecel in a snooker which the Belgian missed and goes back to requiring a snooker himself, which he didn't get.

Eventually the frame went to Selby to get his first frame of the day and go back to trailing by four.

13-9 to Brecel.