The Final: Frame By Frame
Frame by frame updates from the final of the Betfred World Championship between Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy…
Frame 26
Murphy leads 28-4 with the balls in favourable positions when his attempted pink to a centre pocket hits the far jaw. Ruthless Selby punishes him with 66, despite an anxious moment when a slow-rolled penultimate red along the top cushion stops on the brink of the pocket before toppling in. The Jester needs just three more for the title.
Murphy 11-15 Selby
Frame 27
A delightful thin cut on a red to a centre pocket sets Selby up for a run of 44, culminating in a missed red to a top corner. Murphy replies with 30 then misses a red, but gets back in and makes a fantastic 43 clearance, converting difficult pots on the yellow and green. There’s another fist pump from Murphy as he keeps his hopes of a come-back alive.
Murphy 12-15 Selby
Frame 28
A botched safety from Murphy, hitting the pack far too thick, lets Selby in for a run of 40. He runs out of position and plays safe, then a mid-range red gets him back among the balls and he adds 68 to go four ahead as he closes in on his fourth Crucible crown.
Murphy 12-16 Selby
Frame 29
A rare safety error from Selby hands his opponent a scoring chance, and Murphy makes 58 before rattling a tough red in the jaws of a top corner, playing with the rest. Selby can’t counter as he over-cuts his first red to a centre pocket, and Murphy adds 16 to draw within three heading into the mid-session interval.
Murphy 13-16 Selby
Frame 30
A tactical exchange is resolved when Selby slots a red into a centre pocket, and he goes on to make a 120 total clearance to move to the brink of victory.
Murphy 13-17 Selby
Frame 31
Selby makes just 7 from an early chance before missing a mid-range red to a top corner. Murphy is not going down without a fight and a quick-fire 100 pulls one back.
Murphy 14-17 Selby
Frame 32
Signs of nerves for Selby? He snatches at a long red and misses it by several inches, handing the table to Murphy who makes a brilliant 110, the 108th century of the tournament. Just two frames in it now!
Murphy 15-17 Selby
Frame 33
Mark Selby is 2021 Betfred World Champion! He has first chance in frame 33 and makes 38 before missing a tough red to a baulk corner. Murphy replies with 22 then has a chance to clear and adds 35 before leaving a difficult pot on the final red in the jaws of a top corner. Selby holds his nerve to clear the table and conquer the Crucible for the fourth time.
Murphy 15-18 Selby
Third session
Frame 18
Selby’s long game was outstanding on Sunday, but in the opening frame today he misses a red from distance to present his opponent with a scoring chance. Murphy gets just the start he needs as a break of 77 sees him reduce his deficit to two frames.
Murphy 8-10 Selby
Frame 19
What a frame! The most dramatic of the match so far and it goes Selby’s way – could that prove a crucial moment? Murphy makes 42 before missing a tough red, Selby replies with 21 and 41 to leave him 20 points ahead on the blue. Murphy gets the snooker he needs then flukes the blue, before getting the better of a safety exchange on the pink. He thumps the pink into a baulk corner but leaves a difficult black to a centre pocket. Murphy tries to roll it in dead-weight, but it hits the far jaw and stays out. Selby clips in the black to restore his three-frame lead.
Murphy 8-11 Selby
Frame 20
Murphy’s blistering long red sets him up for a break of 37 and he later leads 51-0. Selby fires in a long red to give himself a chance to steal, but misses the black on 37 with one red remaining. Murphy takes red, black, yellow and green and that proves enough to close the gap.
Murphy 9-11 Selby
Frame 21
A planted red gives Selby first chance and he goes 23-0 up before running for cover. Murphy’s safety shot is misjudged and gifts his opponent another opportunity. Selby adds 107 – the first century of the match – to keep himself in control as they head for the dressing rooms.
Murphy 9-12 Selby
Frame 22
Murphy knocks in a long red but can only make 14 before running out of position. Selby replies with 54 then plays safe, and gets back in after a failed attempt at a long red from his opponent, adding a run of 50 to extend his lead.
Murphy 9-13 Selby
Frame 23
Selby pots the first red but then a tricky green to a centre pocket hits the near jaw. Murphy needs a strong response to keep his footing in the match, and makes his first century of the final – exactly 100.
Murphy 10-13 Selby
Frame 24
The Murphy fight-back is gathering steam! Two scoring chances give him a 52-0 lead and he plays safe, then blasts in a long red and adds 56 before allowing himself a mini fist pump having narrowed the gap to two. Last frame of the session is massive…
Murphy 11-13 Selby
Frame 25
The quality of long potting in this final has been extremely high and this time it’s Selby’s turn to thrash a red in from distance. He makes 62 before under-cutting a difficult red to a centre pocket. He gets back in with another long red and adds 69, the 20th break over 50 in the final so far. So Selby needs just four more frames when they return at 7pm to play to a finish, while Murphy must win seven of the last ten.
Murphy 11-14 Selby
Second session
Frame 9
Murphy knocks in a long red and makes 49 before failing to split the pack when potting the black. After a brief safety exchange, Selby converts a red from distance and goes on to make a superb 85 clearance, highlighted by a clever shot to move the penultimate red away from a side cushion.
Murphy 5-4 Selby
Frame 10
A safety error from Selby, hitting a red near the blue as he tries to send the cue ball to baulk, leaves Murphy with a clear chance, and he takes full advantage with a break of 98, the highest of the match so far.
Murphy 6-4 Selby
Frame 11
Murphy has first chance and builds a 30-0 lead before losing position when splitting the pack from the blue. Selby lays a snooker behind the yellow to create a scoring opportunity, and makes 67 to halve the deficit.
Murphy 6-5 Selby
Frame 12
Selby leads 21-0 when a positional shot goes wrong and he is forced to play safe. A long red gets him back among the balls and this time he takes full advantage with a run of 86 to level the contest at the interval.
Murphy 6-6 Selby
Frame 13
Murphy leads 33-0 when he goes into a cluster of reds in potting the black and loses position. A superb slow-rolled red to a centre pocket gives Selby the chance to respond and he makes 34 before hitting the far jaw with a tough thin clip on a red to middle. Murphy steps in with 64 to take the lead for the fourth time.
Murphy 7-6 Selby
Frame 14
Attempting safety, Murphy completely misses the reds, and leaves his opponent with a free ball, tucked behind the green. Selby rolls the green dead weight into a top corner and goes on to build a 52-0 lead before losing position and playing safe. A sizzling long red gets Selby back in control and he adds 57 to restore parity again.
Murphy 7-7 Selby
Frame 15
A missed red from Selby leaves his opponent the table and Murphy makes 34 before running for the baulk cushion. But Selby rolls in another superb long red and shows his clinical streak with a 90 clearance to lead for the first time.
Murphy 7-8 Selby
Frame 16
Murphy over-cuts a mid-range red to a top corner, letting Selby in to build a 47-0 lead. A tactical exchange is resolved when Selby flukes a red to a centre pocket and adds the points he needs to extend his advantage.
Murphy 7-9 Selby
Frame 17
A rare miss from Selby at 12-0 as he under-cuts the black to a corner pocket. Murphy has a chance to counter but pots just one red before missing the black off its spot. He later fails on a long red attempt and Selby punishes him with a run of 40. The frame is still alive with two reds remaining, but a long safety exchange ends in a Murphy error and Selby creeps over the line to give himself a three-frame overnight lead.
Murphy 7-10 Selby
First session
Frame 1
Murphy has first chance of the final and builds a 30-0 lead before missing a tough blue to a baulk corner. Selby replies with 49 then fails to gain position on the last red. After a safety exchange, Murphy pots the red and adds pink, yellow, green and brown to leave the score at 46-49 on the blue. Playing safe on the blue, Selby leaves it close to the baulk cushion, and his opponent converts an excellent thin cut to the green corner, adding a simple pink to draw first blood.
Murphy 1-0 Selby
Frame 2
An early missed red from Murphy gives Selby a clear chance, and he makes 41 before failing to pot a straight-forward blue to centre. Murphy’s attempted clearance ends at 58-41 when he over-cuts a tricky yellow to a baulk corner. The frame comes down to a battle on the brown, and Murphy slots a clever cross double into a baulk pocket, then thumps in a long blue for 2-0. Winning two early tactical frames will boost Murphy’s confidence.
Murphy 2-0 Selby
Frame 3
Murphy looks to be cruising to a 3-0 lead until he under-cuts a red to top corner on 65. Selby replies with 46 but can’t dislodge the brown from the baulk cushion and plays safe. Murphy misjudges his response, leaving the brown too close to a top corner, and a relieved Selby clears the last four colours to get a frame on the board.
Murphy 2-1 Selby
Frame 4
Murphy’s attempted long red misses its target, and he leaves the balls at Selby’s mercy. A break of 89 gets the Jester back on level terms at the interval.
Murphy 2-2 Selby
Frame 5
This time Murphy finds the back of the pocket with a cracking long red, setting up a run of 75 as he regains the lead.
Murphy 3-2 Selby
Frame 6
Selby misses a tricky red with the swan-neck rest when leading 20-0 to hand his opponent a chance, but Murphy pots just one red before under-cutting the black off its spot to a top corner. Selby makes 46 which is enough to square the tie.
Murphy 3-3 Selby
Frame 7
A missed red to a top corner from Selby early in the frame proves costly as Murphy rakes in a long red to initiate a break of 64. Selby battles on for snookers but his opponent knocks in the penultimate red to edge ahead again.
Murphy 4-3 Selby
Frame 8
First chance goes to Selby and he builds a 46-0 lead before missing a tricky thin cut on a red to a top corner. Murphy’s reply is on 8 when he enjoys a massive fluke on the pink, hitting the near jaw of a centre pocket and diverting it into a baulk corner. He goes on to make 52 before missing the penultimate red to the same middle pocket, but Selby fails to punish his opponent as he leaves the last red in the jaws of a top corner. Murphy’s 28 clearance gives him the advantage heading into the second session, which starts at 7pm.
Murphy 5-3 Selby