World Snooker Championship LIVE: Latest score updates as Luca Brecel leads Mark Selby in final
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 3-7 Brecel
Brecel begins frame 11 with some more outrageous potting but then misses a relatively simple red and sits back down with only 12 points on the board. It’s still early days in this best-of-35 final, but the balls are well set and Selby could do with taking opportunities like this one.
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 3-7 Brecel
Brecel bounces back quickly though, and with his next opportunity he racks up an audacious, thrilling century break – probably the most entertaining break of the entire championship so far. Exhibition pots with the cue ball flying around the table, and all done with such nonchalance. Wow.
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 3-6 Brecel
A bizarre moment disrupts Brecel’s break in this 10th frame: he sends a red rolling gently towards the middle pocket and begins walking around the table for his next shot, but the red veers with the nap of the table and somehow misses by a distance. Brecel is stunned, and Selby comes to the table only 27 points behind.
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 3-6 Brecel
Mark Selby starts the evening session in the best possible way. A century break sees him set a marker for the session to come and moves the world no. 2 within three frames of the Belgian.
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 2-6 Brecel
An excellent start by Mark Selby, who immediately racks up a half-century to close in on this first frame of the evening session in double quick time. Just a couple more reds needed…
Watch: Luca Brecel’s fine blue decides tight sixth frame
This was one of the crucial moments of the opening session earlier today: at 4-1 up, Brecel came out on top of this safety exchange with a delicate cut of the blue to clinch it and take a four-frame lead. The pot looked almost impossible but he made the angle work:
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 2-6 Brecel
Good evening and thank you for joining us – the World Snooker Championship final resumes shortly at the Crucible Theatre. The first finallist from mainland Europe, Luca Brecel, leads the four-time champion Mark Selby 6-2 after making a blistering start earlier today.
Summary: Luca Brecel dominates opening session against Mark Selby
Comeback king Luca Brecel revelled in his new role as a front-runner after dominating the opening session of the World Snooker Championship final against four-time winner Mark Selby at the Crucible.
The Belgian, who reeled off seven straight frames to sink Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last eight and then 11 in a row to overcome Si Jiahui, continued his exhilarating progress as he soared into a 6-2 lead ahead of their resumption later on Sunday.
Full report on the afternoon session:
Luca Brecel dominates opening session of Crucible final against Mark Selby
The Belgian continued his exhilarating progress as he soared into a 6-2 lead ahead of their resumption later on Sunday
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 2-6 Brecel
That’s a phenomenal first session by Luca Brecel. He has made this World Championship final look like he’s playing in his local club, performing with almost reckless abandon at times, and right now Selby has no answer to his opponent’s potting prowess.
Mark Selby takes on a pot as Luca Brecel watches on
Brecel at the table during the World Championship final
Selby contemplates a shot during the opening session
World Snooker Championship final: Selby 2-6 Brecel
So smooth and composed by Brecel, who manoeuvres the white around the table with apparent ease to take the frame as Selby watches on. Brecel will take a four-frame lead into tonight’s second session.
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