:00:35. > :00:40.So Enter The Dragon, Ding Junhui. World number one for a few years and
:00:41. > :00:46.everything is stronger than before. I play my games and that will be OK.
:00:47. > :00:50.The way I performed at the moment is the perfect way I could have planned
:00:51. > :00:56.it. I hope I have not peaked too soon.
:00:57. > :01:00.There is no place like the Crucible. Hopefully I can go one better and
:01:01. > :01:08.get to the final. I am playing great stuff. I need to be at the top of my
:01:09. > :01:12.game to beat him, that's for sure. Hello, a good evening to you.
:01:13. > :01:17.Welcome back to Crucible Theatre. Coming up highlights of the day's
:01:18. > :01:21.semifinal of the 2017 Bet Fred World Championship. First up a repeat of
:01:22. > :01:24.last year's final at the Crucible. Defending champion and world number
:01:25. > :01:29.one Mark Selby, taking on China's Ding Junhui.
:01:30. > :01:33.Well, Selby had a 9-7 lead after the morning session, they shared the
:01:34. > :01:38.first four frames of the eve Ming, including a fabulous break of 128 to
:01:39. > :01:47.Selby. We join it in frame 21. Ding to play, leading by 12 points.
:01:48. > :01:52.So coming off the side cushion to nest in the reds. Doesn't want to
:01:53. > :01:58.slide by them. Has to hit it hard enough to reach. That is well short.
:01:59. > :02:05.REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Mark Selby four. No reason I don't think, being
:02:06. > :02:12.that close, there was a case there for playing a safety and opening up
:02:13. > :02:20.the reds, but, as I said, I noticed in the session this morning, Mark's
:02:21. > :02:27.game plan, keep it tight. Only open the reds when you have a chance of
:02:28. > :02:33.doing so, off a colour, but tough shot this for Ding Junhui.
:02:34. > :02:38.Played it into the green, and fortunately the red he played hit
:02:39. > :02:44.another red, so it's OK. But that could have gone horribly wrong. If
:02:45. > :02:48.the red doesn't kiss the other red, he would have had something on. Just
:02:49. > :02:52.watch the way this red ran into the green, and was going back up the
:02:53. > :02:59.table until it kissed the second red.
:03:00. > :03:10.So, a slight run of the ball there for Ding Junhui. Deserves some.
:03:11. > :03:17.Looked like being a good safety until I flicked the brown. Now is
:03:18. > :03:25.this the time? I know he has a pot on. All eyes toer the pot. Not
:03:26. > :03:30.looked at a safety. Play for the pink into the middle, so it doesn't
:03:31. > :03:34.have to do a lot with the cue ball. Long put success is a bit lower than
:03:35. > :03:42.what is required, at this level. But he could do with this one.
:03:43. > :04:00.Wonderful. Wonderful, and he is on the pink.
:04:01. > :04:05.So he gets another opportunity. Now if he is not straight enough on the
:04:06. > :04:09.pink to cannon into the main bunch of reds, he has an angle to knock a
:04:10. > :04:19.red to the right corner. There is no-one better round the pink for me,
:04:20. > :04:24.than this young man. But he was able to get into the cluster and played
:04:25. > :04:26.it beautifully. I expect nothing less, and he didn't let me down,
:04:27. > :04:46.wonderful shot. Looking to see if the pink will go
:04:47. > :04:50.into the same corner as he is potting this red, but, if it
:04:51. > :04:56.doesn't, he still has the green at this end of the table. Just looking
:04:57. > :04:57.for another 33 points from this visit.
:04:58. > :05:14.To get to snookers required. Decided to come up for the blue,
:05:15. > :05:39.inch perfect. I think he would rather have been on
:05:40. > :05:45.the red that is near the right hand cushion. But he has bounced off the
:05:46. > :05:55.cushion a bit too far. Eight hours of intense concentration. There is
:05:56. > :05:59.quite a few Chinese players in Sheffield play at the academy and
:06:00. > :06:14.they would practise eight hours a day, but this is a little more
:06:15. > :06:21.intense. That is why the standard is so high, the amount of practise that
:06:22. > :06:25.the younger generation of players put in, it is quite extraordinary
:06:26. > :06:27.and that is why the standard, where there is so many playing to such a
:06:28. > :06:43.high standard. Just about perfect, he has the angle
:06:44. > :06:47.on the blue, to hit the pink, he don't want to hit it full ball, just
:06:48. > :06:51.three-quarter ball would be perfect, it would bring the three reds into
:06:52. > :06:58.play. This could be the key to the frame, if this goes right.
:06:59. > :07:01.Well, he has got, I am sure like you Dennis, he played that cannon. I
:07:02. > :07:13.can't believe he played for this loose red. He is on it, in a
:07:14. > :07:16.fashion. It is not going to be easy. Cue ball tight against the side
:07:17. > :07:19.cushion. Whenever you have not got your hand on the table, it makes the
:07:20. > :07:39.pot difficult. He needs an angle again, though.
:07:40. > :07:43.And I don't think he has it. So he has a 35 point advantage, and the
:07:44. > :07:47.three reds are intact there. And there is no path through to pot a
:07:48. > :07:54.colour, and move them, the green looks to be dead straight, the pink
:07:55. > :08:00.won't go. Checking the scoesh, but still -- score board, still a long
:08:01. > :08:05.way short of securing the frame. He would love to get the snooker
:08:06. > :08:10.here, there is is a good line there, yellow, brown, black, but I know
:08:11. > :08:15.that you set a lot of store adds quite a few players do, of putting a
:08:16. > :08:21.colour safe here, but he is trying to get off the green, and cannon the
:08:22. > :08:33.black, to get the snooker. Needs to run, needs to run. Missed
:08:34. > :08:36.an opportunity there. I'd have been knocking the green safe and
:08:37. > :08:44.attempting the snooker as well. He needs some bit of insurance. And if
:08:45. > :08:49.this next safety shot works out, the game could be quite open, with a
:08:50. > :08:58.chance for Mark to put in a counter attack. Not like that. You don't
:08:59. > :09:03.mind coming to the table with this sort of chance. That was an error
:09:04. > :09:09.and a smile comes to the defending champion's face. I don't know why he
:09:10. > :09:15.felt the necessity to hit it so thin. Any way, surely it is frame
:09:16. > :09:26.over now, after this green. Just one more red needed.
:09:27. > :09:31.And he's perfectly on the red and this red will put him 40 ahead with
:09:32. > :09:34.just 35 remaining. But surely after this red he gets a
:09:35. > :09:45.colour. Just been a bit surprising Dennis,
:09:46. > :09:51.so many mistakes that Mark Selby has made in this frame on the safety
:09:52. > :09:57.side. Very unlike him but he can't shake
:09:58. > :10:01.off Ding Junhui, he keeps come back at him every time Mark opens up a
:10:02. > :10:12.two frame advantage, Ding Junhui bounces back.
:10:13. > :10:22.He had a three frame advantage at 10-7.
:10:23. > :10:28.Is a lot of people would love this player to win the World Championship
:10:29. > :10:34.this year. There's three other players with a different idea. He is
:10:35. > :10:43.very popular with the public all over the world, this player.
:10:44. > :11:16.He had won everything in the game but the World Championship.
:11:17. > :11:22.Is he going to bother with the black? Why not, he played such a
:11:23. > :11:31.good positional shot he might as well roll the black in as well.
:11:32. > :11:36.Doesn't matter that the black doesn't drop. Ding Junhui will be
:11:37. > :11:43.absolutely delighted, he takes the frame and now he's just one behind
:11:44. > :11:47.the defending champion. Ding Junhui digging ever so deeply,
:11:48. > :11:48.let's go into the next frame, back to Dennis and John, Mark Selby at
:11:49. > :11:59.the table. Well, he seemed to hit that much
:12:00. > :12:03.harder than he needed. There is a choice of reds for Ding
:12:04. > :12:09.Junhui here, he doesn't like that as he walks back to his seat, looking
:12:10. > :12:21.up at a few of his friends there. Didn't fancy that one little bit.
:12:22. > :12:36.He had no option in all fairness but to play it.
:12:37. > :12:40.If this goes in it's a frame-winner. Ooh it just struggled in off the jaw
:12:41. > :12:45.but he feels he can pot the pinkful I'm not certain if the black goes.
:12:46. > :12:48.But the pink certainly is pottable. But he, his heart must have been in
:12:49. > :12:57.his mouth when it was I aming for that left hand jaw.
:12:58. > :13:01.If it is the pink it will put him 50.s in front with just 67
:13:02. > :13:05.remaining. Just got to screw back and the black will stay there and he
:13:06. > :13:09.has a red below the black spot. Oh, he doesn't want that to cover the
:13:10. > :13:25.red. Has it covered the red?
:13:26. > :13:34.Red, colour, red required. Now the black covered the potting
:13:35. > :13:40.angle on the red, would you believe it? He didn't see that coming. And
:13:41. > :13:49.I'll be honest with you neither did I, but the run of the ball went
:13:50. > :13:54.against him that time. Just looking at that again, Dennis, I don't think
:13:55. > :13:58.he could pot that red. He couldn't, he almost hit them simultaneously
:13:59. > :14:01.which would have been a foul shot if you hit the red and black at the
:14:02. > :14:05.same time, it is called a split ball, and the referee would call a
:14:06. > :14:06.foul. Yes, I don't think he could pot that
:14:07. > :14:30.red. This first red is very difficult.
:14:31. > :14:36.The pocket is out of your eye line. Tough shot this.
:14:37. > :14:40.But he has played it well. APPLAUSE
:14:41. > :14:44.He has held it nicely for the yellow. Any colours will do. He has
:14:45. > :14:54.plenty of points to play with at the moment. What a frame and what a
:14:55. > :15:02.steel this could be. -- steal this could be.
:15:03. > :15:06.That is a big ask with where the reds are situated, but, he has done
:15:07. > :15:17.it plenty of times in the past. What a time this would be to steal the
:15:18. > :15:21.frame. He is a right handed player, so
:15:22. > :15:24.they're not the wrong side of the table, but he's not nicely on the
:15:25. > :15:30.pink to get anywhere near the reds, he would have to go all the way
:15:31. > :15:34.round the angles here. He has play it badly. OK, normally
:15:35. > :15:36.you would think he could pot the pink and come off the side cushion,
:15:37. > :15:40.but the black is stopping that route, so as you say, he has to go
:15:41. > :15:46.in and out the baulk, you are going to dig in, so he has to avoid the
:15:47. > :15:53.kiss on the yellow and be careful of the right middle pocket. The middle
:15:54. > :16:04.pocket and the yellow. Well, he has avoided it. Full ball kiss, would be
:16:05. > :16:12.perfect. Fraction out. Good effort. Was it ever a good effort here, as
:16:13. > :16:18.we show you the white arcing slightly, missed the yellow, and
:16:19. > :16:23.just touched the red. Is there a path back behind the
:16:24. > :16:30.brown here? He has to avoid the black.
:16:31. > :16:32.Here he come, this is pretty good. If not the brown, he has the green
:16:33. > :16:50.there. That was an excellent shot. This frame now taking on massive
:16:51. > :16:58.proportions. In the 29th minute. What a big
:16:59. > :17:04.frame. Ding Junhui has had a couple of opportunities in it, it really
:17:05. > :17:16.hurt, if he was to lose it and go two frames behind again. Well, that
:17:17. > :17:33.was strange. Ding Junhui, he seemed to be looking up at a monitor.
:17:34. > :17:42.That's not bad, he hasn't left anything easy.
:17:43. > :17:47.This red will cut back, looks like a natural angle to cannon into the
:17:48. > :17:59.pink, if he did take it on for the left corner.
:18:00. > :18:07.He has to be a bit careful he doesn't pass the pink and black and
:18:08. > :18:12.go into the middle pocket. I think that's, that is a natural angle the
:18:13. > :18:15.white would take if he plays the plain-ball, so, let's see the path
:18:16. > :18:22.that the cue ball is going to take here.
:18:23. > :18:26.Oh, that's a great shot. That's a terrific shot. If it bounces he's on
:18:27. > :18:34.the brown and he can get up to the two reds.
:18:35. > :18:50.Avoided the pinks just avoided the middle pocket.
:18:51. > :18:55.Played it well, nice angle on the red.
:18:56. > :18:58.Can't afford to pot this red, I don't think, and try and bring the
:18:59. > :19:06.other red into play, because he's not certain to be on the colour, so
:19:07. > :19:10.just play for the pink or blue. Now he looks to have landed
:19:11. > :19:15.absolutely perfect on the pink to screw over to the right-hand side
:19:16. > :19:21.cushion for in last red. Massive frame this, big chance. He would
:19:22. > :19:29.love the -- that's where he would love the white ball.
:19:30. > :19:32.That's not bad. He will screw back for the blue here. To give himself a
:19:33. > :19:53.chance to get to the yellow. As we saw from the score, any colour
:19:54. > :19:58.will do, he doesn't want to be straight on the blue, though.
:19:59. > :20:02.If he is, it means he can't get close position on the yellow,
:20:03. > :20:12.believe me, now, and he couldn't be much straighter, there is pressure
:20:13. > :20:16.on every shot here. Trying to dig down but there is not a lot of room
:20:17. > :20:22.when you are in the jaws of the pocket. If he is going to try and
:20:23. > :20:28.screw this back, it may be making this blue so much more difficult. A
:20:29. > :20:30.very timely cough or whatever it was just as he was going to deliver the
:20:31. > :20:48.cue. That was pretty good under the
:20:49. > :21:26.circumstances. Boy is he good under pressure, John.
:21:27. > :21:31.I mean, this, what a steal this would be. Yes, this will really hurt
:21:32. > :21:34.Ding Junhui, when he looks for all money he was going to get back to
:21:35. > :21:49.all square. I always think that the key to this
:21:50. > :21:52.type of clearance is this shot, now, from ground blue, if he lands
:21:53. > :21:58.perfect on the blue, it should be a formality.
:21:59. > :22:03.And what I'm looking for, John, here, is see what sort of reaction,
:22:04. > :22:08.if he does win this frame, from Mark Selby, because he's been looking up
:22:09. > :22:15.as a few of his friends in the balcony. I think we are going to get
:22:16. > :22:22.a big reaction, this was a big frame.
:22:23. > :22:26.Ding Junhui had his opportunities, this will hurt.
:22:27. > :22:58.Pink and black required. This to go two frames in front, once
:22:59. > :23:05.again. It's there. What a frame that was.
:23:06. > :23:11.What a steal. Ding Junhui, he will be really hurting over that one, he
:23:12. > :23:16.had a few good chance, Mark Selby fist pumps his way out to go to the
:23:17. > :23:20.dressing room. 12-10 he leads. Mark Selby loved winning that frame, let
:23:21. > :23:22.show you what happened in the next. Here he is back at the table.
:23:23. > :24:00.Leading by a point. And what about that shot? Fabulous
:24:01. > :24:04.pot. Well that's as good as pot as you could ever wish to see under the
:24:05. > :24:07.circumstances, especially what happened in the previous frame. Ten
:24:08. > :24:34.out of ten for that. Ding Junhui. Played for the reds, to the left
:24:35. > :24:40.middle. Seem to be a few loose reds, maybe available to the right. No
:24:41. > :24:48.need to play any pack breaking shots, but he needs to have nice
:24:49. > :24:53.control of this cue ball. Decided to come back for the black.
:24:54. > :24:58.Couldn't have played it better, beautiful shot. And this is where,
:24:59. > :25:03.as I say, he is as good as anyone I've ever seen.
:25:04. > :25:05.His little stun, screw, litten cannons.
:25:06. > :25:17.-- little cannons. Yes, I mean he has made 451 sents in
:25:18. > :25:29.his career, turned pro in 2003. -- centuries.
:25:30. > :25:35.Mark Selby has made 471, so two of the games great break-builders here,
:25:36. > :25:42.just let that one slip away a little bit. He would be all right if he can
:25:43. > :25:45.pot the blue and avoid a kiss on the red on the right-hand side side of
:25:46. > :25:49.the stable. I don't think he can drop it in, he has to avoid the kiss
:25:50. > :25:54.if he is coming off top and side cushion. He thinks he can drop it
:25:55. > :26:07.in. And nailed it too, amazingly enough.
:26:08. > :26:09.This is a delicate little shot. Play the cannon on to the other red, he
:26:10. > :26:23.might even pot it. The other one is over the corner
:26:24. > :26:34.pocket. Lovely little shot there. He made it look very easy.
:26:35. > :26:40.And what a positive shot that was under the circumstances, that is why
:26:41. > :26:45.he is one of the game's great break-builder, a lot of players had
:26:46. > :26:49.a couple of reds to play for, he went straight into the bunch, and
:26:50. > :26:53.that could pay great dividends, he is having a smile there because he
:26:54. > :26:57.wants the cue ball cleaned because he is just going to roll this red
:26:58. > :27:02.in, the last thing he would want was a heavy contact. I know it is is a
:27:03. > :27:07.bit of a tricky spot to have the cue ball cleaned. But Brendan Moore will
:27:08. > :27:11.be up to the task. Yes, and Stephen Hendry and Ken
:27:12. > :27:17.Doherty in the studio were asking could that last frame have knocked
:27:18. > :27:22.the stuffing out of Ding? It certainly hasn't. As you say Dennis,
:27:23. > :27:25.what a positive shot that was to go into them. And the fact he was
:27:26. > :27:34.smiling there, when he asked for that cue ball to be cleaned, that is
:27:35. > :27:42.another good sign. Once again, lovely control of the cue ball.
:27:43. > :27:46.And just 311 points needed from this position. He would be very surprised
:27:47. > :28:02.if he didn't do it. Didn't want to be that straight on
:28:03. > :28:08.the black. It is just running out of position slightly.
:28:09. > :28:13.You are always looking to have a slight angle on the colour, or on
:28:14. > :28:19.the red, have to find the gap leer, to get back on the black.
:28:20. > :28:26.Played it well, just the kiss off the second red. He will be mighty
:28:27. > :28:46.relieved he is back in perfect position.
:28:47. > :28:56.Just letting his cue ball run loose at the moment. There is a lot of
:28:57. > :29:02.pressure on him. He can't afford to miss this opportunity. The last
:29:03. > :29:13.frame he should have won, at full stretch here.
:29:14. > :29:20.Well, once again he is probably a bit straighter on this black than he
:29:21. > :29:21.needed to be. Just another couple of reds, and colours after this black
:29:22. > :29:41.will see him over the line. Had enough angle there, just to
:29:42. > :29:52.force it in. And he can reach this, he can stretch round. Bit of a
:29:53. > :29:54.stretch but he'll be OK. Fabulous response, this, from Ding
:29:55. > :30:00.Junhui. It really is.
:30:01. > :30:06.After what happened in the previous frame. This to go 69 ahead with 67
:30:07. > :30:17.remaining. Superb. Superb.
:30:18. > :30:23.And now he can relax and concentrate and see if he can make histth
:30:24. > :30:27.century in this year's World Championship, way ahead of I think
:30:28. > :30:33.it's probably twice as many as the next player to him, which is Mark
:30:34. > :30:35.Selby, think he has had six, Mark Allen had sixth before he got
:30:36. > :30:52.knocked out by John Higgins. There is Mark Selby, nothing he
:30:53. > :30:58.could do about that, about this situation, because the opening red,
:30:59. > :31:04.from Ding Junhui, was, well, nobody could play safe against a pot like
:31:05. > :31:12.this. Look at this. Absolutely perfect, run it round off
:31:13. > :31:16.two cushion, got on the black and in an air of inevitability about him
:31:17. > :31:19.winning the frame, which is remarkable after what happened the
:31:20. > :31:23.frame before. It is just brilliant. It is a real
:31:24. > :31:24.treat and a pleasure to be commentating on this semifinal. It
:31:25. > :31:37.really is. We have had 67 centuries so far, I
:31:38. > :31:40.don't think they will reach the record of 886, but you never know,
:31:41. > :31:44.the way these boys are starting to play.
:31:45. > :31:58.And there is another one. Absolutely fantastic.
:31:59. > :32:05.And one more frame to be played. He has had three centuries in every
:32:06. > :32:19.match he has played so far this year.
:32:20. > :32:29.Absolutely perfection. Yes, he is a delight to watch when he gets in the
:32:30. > :32:40.balls. Cue ball control of the highest order. Scoring machine. And
:32:41. > :32:45.an exhibition type shot to get on the blue. Hasn't hit it hard enough
:32:46. > :32:53.so it will be into the corner. Doesn't matter about that, but what
:32:54. > :32:56.a response from Ding Junhui. The pressure was right on him and he
:32:57. > :33:03.came straight back with that magnificent break and now he is just
:33:04. > :33:07.one behind again at 12-11. STUDIO: Brilliant stuff from Ding
:33:08. > :33:12.Junhui and we didn't want the match to end. Let's show you what happened
:33:13. > :33:18.in the final frame of the session. Selby to play and there is no score.
:33:19. > :33:30.COMMENTATOR: Where is the black ball going? No free ball. We'll Ding want
:33:31. > :33:36.to play the top cushion or will he want Mark Selby to play it?
:33:37. > :33:54.Personally, I would let the other man have a go at this.
:33:55. > :34:05.He has got to make sure he avoids the cannon onto the red near the
:34:06. > :34:15.cushion. That is an attacking safety shot, if ever I have seen one. That
:34:16. > :34:21.is superb and that tells me, John, how positively this young player is
:34:22. > :34:26.thinking. To be honest with you, when I suggested he let Mark Selby
:34:27. > :34:32.play the shot, I thought he could only hit the red made the top
:34:33. > :34:38.cushion. Have a look at this, surely there is not a 3-ball plans. Read on
:34:39. > :34:45.to the pink, pink onto the red. It might just work. What a body blow
:34:46. > :34:53.that would be because Ding played a superb safety shot, but that is a
:34:54. > :34:58.distinct possibility. Yes, very positive safety shot, Ding Junhui,
:34:59. > :35:06.trying to keep this frame open. But there is a possibility of this
:35:07. > :35:16.three-ball plant. But it's not a certainty. He is looking to see if
:35:17. > :35:18.he can avoid cannon in into the red if he takes the three-ball plant on.
:35:19. > :35:35.There might be a gap... Well, he is back looking at it. If
:35:36. > :35:45.anyone can pull off a three-ball plant, it is this fella. So, here we
:35:46. > :36:08.go. Not only the plant, but keep an eye on the cue ball here as well.
:36:09. > :36:29.Ding Junhui must be thinking, how on earth did I leave at three-ball
:36:30. > :36:34.plant. It wasn't the best of kisses on the green for Mark. Did well to
:36:35. > :36:40.spot it. But he's not out of the woods yet. This is a tough pot on
:36:41. > :37:04.the green, should he take it on. He didn't play it that convincingly,
:37:05. > :37:07.did he? He knew there was Reds adjacent to book corner pockets and
:37:08. > :37:17.the one to the right corner is available. The only problem is, how
:37:18. > :37:25.do you get on a colour? OK, the green is over the pocket, but how do
:37:26. > :37:35.you get the cue ball in a position to pot the green. The pink is a
:37:36. > :37:43.possible ball to get on. Nicely onto the blue. He can take the green, if
:37:44. > :37:53.he hasn't got the correct side of the blue. But he has the red near
:37:54. > :38:03.the left corner. Good cueing. He is OK here with the blue. As long as he
:38:04. > :38:07.hasn't blocked the path through to this red. I think he should be all
:38:08. > :38:17.right, Dennis. He couldn't do a lot else with the cue ball. Once again,
:38:18. > :38:27.he won't want to play the green, keep it as reserve. So lay again for
:38:28. > :38:32.the blue. Now, he may decide to play the green. He's not good on blue.
:38:33. > :38:41.The blue is miscible. The green isn't.
:38:42. > :38:46.Regardless of what happens in this last frame, what a final session we
:38:47. > :39:02.are going to have tomorrow afternoon. He has taken the more
:39:03. > :39:07.difficult pot. It's not too bad. Well judged. OK, he will have to go
:39:08. > :39:26.up for the blue again. Not a good chance just yet. Reds are
:39:27. > :39:34.nicely placed. Pink and black are not.
:39:35. > :39:40.Having said that, the black is available into the left corner
:39:41. > :39:55.pocket. There is a red next to the black
:39:56. > :40:03.which is preventing it going into the right corner. He is on the
:40:04. > :40:06.black. If he can get on the red, that is closest to the black, it is
:40:07. > :40:24.a terrific chance. Just a little bit further back would
:40:25. > :40:31.have made it a lot easier to hold for the black. He has got the other
:40:32. > :40:41.red into the right corner, so he can leave that for the time being. What
:40:42. > :40:46.a session of snooker, John. Well, if you don't enjoy this, then you don't
:40:47. > :40:54.like snooker. This has been absolutely brilliant. The twists,
:40:55. > :40:59.the turns, the run of the ball, the bad run of the ball for one player.
:41:00. > :41:06.And that is what makes the World Championship, these longer matches
:41:07. > :41:15.so special. It gives chance for the look to go to and fro and Mark
:41:16. > :41:21.Selby, who came into this session with a two frame advantage, can see
:41:22. > :41:24.that slipping away here. Ding Junhui, he has played absolutely
:41:25. > :41:28.brilliant. He has taken everything that has been thrown at him. Some
:41:29. > :41:35.people could have wilted with some of the bad run he has had tonight.
:41:36. > :41:41.But he has hung on, lost the frame he should have won, not bite you are
:41:42. > :41:52.entitled to win any frame, you have got to do it yourself. Lovely cannon
:41:53. > :41:57.on the pink. I can't see him slipping up now, but having said
:41:58. > :42:03.that, he is having the white cleaned because of the way he is playing the
:42:04. > :42:09.next shot. He looks pretty fresh out there, this has been a gruelling
:42:10. > :42:17.session, mentally, for both players. There you go, just over nine hours
:42:18. > :42:22.and six minutes of hard concentration and some brilliant
:42:23. > :42:26.play from both players. This to go 64 points in front with 75
:42:27. > :42:37.remaining. Just another red and a colour required. And that now looks
:42:38. > :42:39.a formality. Red and the black to go 72 points in front with 67
:42:40. > :42:58.remaining. Just slightly hampered. No problem, he may take the pink.
:42:59. > :43:04.The pink would put in 71 points in front with 67 remaining. Mark Selby
:43:05. > :43:14.looks to have lost his two frame advantage. In it goes. Well, what a
:43:15. > :43:20.session of snooker we have seen the night. It is incredible. It will go
:43:21. > :43:25.down as one of the great sessions for me, in Crucible history. It has
:43:26. > :43:31.been an absolute pleasure to commentate on what we have witnessed
:43:32. > :43:38.this evening, it really has. I have loved every minute of it, even the
:43:39. > :43:45.first frame, 18 minutes before a ball was potted. Even then, they
:43:46. > :43:50.delivered a century break. Mark Selby did. But, every respect to
:43:51. > :43:55.Ding Junhui, as I say, he has taken everything that has been thrown at
:43:56. > :44:03.him, losing frames he should not have lost. Bad run of the ball. But
:44:04. > :44:08.he stuck at it, he never dropped his head. And the last two frames have
:44:09. > :44:10.been absolutely scintillating. Wouldn't it be fitting if he could
:44:11. > :44:29.finish with another century? He has looked very comfortable. We
:44:30. > :44:34.did see him having the odd smile and a laugh with the referee when he
:44:35. > :44:39.asked him to cleaned the ball. He is in a very comfortable place at the
:44:40. > :44:44.moment. He is where every snooker player wants to be, in the semifinal
:44:45. > :44:55.of the World Championship and he is playing some scintillating snooker.
:44:56. > :45:10.So, this red, the green wouldn't be enough. He needs a red and possibly
:45:11. > :45:22.go back for the blue. Get in! Get in! This is the icing on the cake.
:45:23. > :45:23.And his 13th century, John, this year. Fantastic! Absolutely
:45:24. > :45:40.fantastic. You will not see many sessions of
:45:41. > :45:45.snooker better than this. Well, John, we are on this match tomorrow
:45:46. > :45:53.afternoon. Can't wait. Know, and pick a winner. Can't do that either.
:45:54. > :45:58.We will just have to see how it unfolds. Mark Selby, great
:45:59. > :46:04.competitor. He will appreciate what Ding has done this evening. With his
:46:05. > :46:09.back against the wall, he went -- seven behind, but nothing was going
:46:10. > :46:19.to detail him. He wanted to win this session and he has won it 50 plant.
:46:20. > :46:25.The black, perfect position. To finish the night in style.
:46:26. > :46:32.Fantastic. Well played, Mark Selby says to Ding Junhui. What a match.
:46:33. > :46:40.Got a climax we have tomorrow afternoon. Ding Junhui takes a
:46:41. > :46:49.standing ovation. He has won this session five frames to three.
:46:50. > :46:55.Tomorrow, all square, 12-12. STUDIO: Standing ovation from The
:46:56. > :47:01.Crucible cried. Ding Junhui has made 13 centuries. The record is Stephen
:47:02. > :47:04.Hendrie, 16 centuries, can that be broken? Can Ding Junhui write his
:47:05. > :47:09.name in Crucible history? We have time to bring you up today
:47:10. > :47:15.with the other semifinal, John Higgins taking on Barry Hawkins, who
:47:16. > :47:22.reached the final in 2013. 5-3 after the first session and then it went
:47:23. > :47:26.9-6 to the Scott and Higgins kept the advantage. Barry Hawkins has it
:47:27. > :47:31.all to do in the third session when they return later this morning. John
:47:32. > :47:37.Higgins would be overnight lead in his first semifinal since he won his
:47:38. > :47:41.fourth title in 2011. And Barry will pretty much have to do what Ding
:47:42. > :47:45.Junhui has done in the other semifinal against Mark Selby and
:47:46. > :47:48.stay in touch with John Higgins. But Barry doesn't have a good record
:47:49. > :47:53.against Higgins and needs to rediscover his touch. Time now for
:47:54. > :48:09.shot of the day. This is a cracker. Wow! Look at this for a shot.
:48:10. > :48:35.Unbelievable. Wow! Stunning from Mark Selby. Has to be
:48:36. > :48:40.one of the shots of the championship. We return at ten
:48:41. > :48:43.o'clock on BBC Two from The Crucible as John Higgins takes on Barry
:48:44. > :48:55.Hawkins. Thanks for watching. Goodbye for now.
:48:56. > :49:02.As it comes down to this final pink. But is it, the World Snooker
:49:03. > :49:07.champion in 1981, Steve Davis. Full disclosure - you're looking at
:49:08. > :49:11.a room of double glazing salesmen.