Selby to cue off against Murphy in world final

LONDON: Former winners Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy will meet in the final of this year’s snooker World Championship after coming through tough semifinals on Saturday.

Selby saw off Stuart Bingham 17-15 in a match that was paused with Selby leading 16-15 to allow Murphy and Kyren Wilson to complete their match at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Selby broke the deadlock when his match resumed when a plant set up a break of 41 only to lose position.

And a lucky red allowed qualifier Bingham to lay a snooker which set him up for a break of 59.

With all the reds off the table, Bingham lost position but laid a snooker behind the black.

But Selby made a superb escape and eventually laid a brilliant snooker on the green that saw Bingham give away several fouls that left his opponent in front.

Selby, a three-time world champion, then cleared to the pink to complete a 17-15 win.

Earlier Murphy, the 2005 world champion, defeated Wilson 17-12 in another all-English contest having been 10-4 behind earlier in the best of 33 frames match.

Murphy, who won the final three frames of the morning session to draw level at 12-12, was unstoppable in the evening as he reeled off five consecutive breaks of over 50 apiece.

His 78 put him ahead for he first time in the match since the opening frame before an unlucky in-off by Wilson paved the way for a break of 91 that saw Murphy go two frames ahead.

Wilson’s missed black let Murphy in to make a break of 117 before his 77 left him one frame away from victory at 16-12 come the mid-session interval.

An extended safety exchange after the match resumed ended with Murphy making a decisive break of 58.