Day 3 Snooker: World Championship Highlights

Hello. Welcome to the Crucible Theatre here in Sheffield at the

2014 for petrol they get in. Today all eyes on Mark Selby taking on

Michael White, who had an excellent run in last year 's tournament. Mark

Selby won the Masters and World Championship in 2013 that has never

lifted the sport's most prestigious trophy.

So, Mark Selby led the first session by five frames to fall and he took

the next three frames of the evening session, leading 8-4. Then there was

a remarkable fightback. Drawing level at eight frames apiece.

Referee: File and Amis. This is interesting because the fact

of the matter is the Black has gone safe. If he has it set up the game,

the black goes back into its own spot and he might decide to leave

that where he is. What would you do here, John?

Has he called a free ball? It looks like he must have done.

This is interesting. I don't believe that. He hasn't

realised it is not a free ball and has played the pink as if it is a

free ball. I've never seen that before in my life.

But just shows you what tension can do for you. He has just completely

lost the plot. Any good news is that he has got the

pink and black safe. That is six points. He can't believe what he has

done. That is the first time ever at the

Crucible I've ever seen anything like that.

When you were a captain at question of sport, never in its history would

you have guessed that right. We have been playing the game a long

time but he is laughing that he has done it. I've never seen that before

but you could see by the referee's done it. I've never seen that before

but you could see by the referee's face that he was bemused by it

because he was wondering why Mark was playing that. He hadn't played a

free ball. It just shows what tension can do if you are not

thinking straight. Now, if you can cut this in, it's

not beyond the realms of possibility that he could bring the green into

play. Oh dear. It is one of those bizarre

situations. It has worked out not too badly for him.

You heard Mark Selby apologise there and it was a bit fortunate. I would

want a letter of apology after that!

If he misses it on the way back, he is going to leave a free ball.

Mark Selby, listen, this is definitely a free ball. REFEREE:

free ball. Are you sure?

Michael has got to be very careful here because it will be given a miss

if he misses it this time. Well done.

They get hit. He deserves to get that safe, really.

A little shake of the head from Mark Selby. It might be pretty straight.

Not much you can do that. The double is not on the green and

he doesn't want to put it near the pink to put the pink into play.

REFEREE: two. Got a chance of a snooker here on

the green behind the brown and white in the middle of the table to line

up with the blue. He has paid for it but not quite got it.

Just a little smile to the box as he walked back to this end of the

table. Rock Selby is a little bit bemused by what has happened but it

has put him into a strong position, the fact that the pink is where it

is. This is a tough shot.

That was the problem with it. He had to hit that fairly thick and he can

only hope for the blue but he hasn't got it.

This is frame ball at having lost the previous format frames, this is

a tough one even though it looks pretty straightforward. Somebody

dropped something up in the auditorium right on the backswing.

If this was early on in the match, you would say this was a certainty

that this is a pressure pot. Well, that really is a terrible

shot. Trying to get the cue ball over by the pink. A high tariff shot

under the circumstances. He gifted him that opportunity, Michael.

This has been one of the strangest frames I have seen and the Crucible

in the history of the Crucible. Mark Selby now is breathing a sigh of

relief. He is one up with two to play.

Mark Selby will be delighted. He sits in his chair smiling and that

was enough to take the lead. He leads 9-8.

Mark Selby needs just one more frames to baulk his place in the

second round. Let's see what happens in the next frame. White is at the

table. Well, he will take that all day. To

finish where he has finished is a dream.

I'm just wondering whether the green passes the black. Well, it doesn't.

That might be a stumbling block. That puts him 23 ahead. The way he

has played that, he can play paintball across and the green will

go past the brown in the same pocket he has put the yellowing.

He needed to slow up. Well-placed. Just this green to take us to a

final frame decider. He held himself together really

well. What a match this has turned into! Didn't look like it when Mark

Selby led 5-1. Plenty of attention.

We had two of them last night and we have another one this evening.

That frame could have gone either way but Michael White held himself

together. Who knows who will win now. 9-9.

Another Crucible decider. Terrific match. Another night at the

Crucible and another final frame decider. Mark Selby is back at the

table and leading by ten points. If this goes behind the green, this

is a fabulous shot. That is a great shot. It really is. To play that

through the gap with that amount of side and to get down and put it

there was superb. He has hit this fall. He flicks by

it, he could leave a read on. There are a couple of rides on into

the middle. I think Mark may be one nearest the pink because he can play

at. He is potting it back. I think I would be having it back as

well. He is keeping him under the cosh were years and if he hit that

read, he could knock it into a pottable position. I would like to

keep him under the cosh there. Mind you, he has absolutely hate

this at 100 miles an hour so potting him back was a correct choice.

It is about the circumstances and the tension. I could see that

happening. He has overhit a few positional shots tonight.

happening. He has overhit a few He may have to play the cannon.

Either way, I think he can get on the black. Good shot.

Mark Selby many, many times in his career has made a frame and a break

and he needs another one. He didn't play on the red in the

middle, he played to read in the corner.

You can see there that the pink is too tight. He knew that he was

guaranteed and easy part on the blue. Still not guaranteed to get in

and around the black for a few shots. He needs to be straight on

this red. He couldn't have played that much

better. Think you can manage to sneak through here tops them -- with

topspin. The red just to the left of the

black is a problem ball at the moment.

And now he has done. This is a chance for frame and match. Just has

to be careful. Lovely little cannon.

Michael White is 44 points behind. Will he get another chance?

Whatever happens in this match, Michael White has proved to

everybody here that under pressure, and the cauldron of the Crucible, he

is going to be a battler. He can play under pressure.

We are now looking for the first time who is likely to go through

into the next round and it could be Mark Selby.

He would have loved to have been on the red baby pink but it has to be

up to the blue and it has got to top side.

He has completely got his focus back. He wavered a couple of times

today in this match. When the concentration is required at the

most crucial part of the match, he has turned it on again.

Very impressive, this. Everyone can play in practice but it is when you

are out here. It is a lot easier now we red by the

pink has disappeared. 59 in front. One more red and colour.

He has just got the slight wrong angle on this thread and this pink.

-- on this red. Going to play a little screw back.

Very good. Very good. He knows now that was the shot that should have

won him this match was top -- this match.

This red and think we'll do the job. He has played up on the blue. This

has been a superb contribution. That is why he is a champion.

He will risk a slow cannon into the reds. The key thing is that he can

pot the blue. Very good. Very good. It is not over

yet. But