Match Reports from the 888.com World Championship
Murphy fails to keep Selby down
Shaun Murphy 5 – 3 Mark Selby
Shaun Murphy missed a good opportunity to build a big lead against a nervous Mark Selby.
Murphy returned to the arena 24 hours after his heroic comeback in the quarter-finals, and he started where he left off against Matthew Stevens.
The 2005 champion began his second career Crucible semi-final by sinking a long red. He went on to make 39, but had to play safe after playing into the pack of reds. Another medium-sized break was enough to get him off the mark.
In the second frame Murphy was in again, doubling his lead with a break of 70. He had a chance to make it 3-0, but a miss let in Selby who got on the board with a confidence-building break of 55.
Selby, who before this year had only ever won a single match at the Crucible, was in first in the fourth. He missed a tricky brown into the middle pocket, and Murphy ruthlessly seized the chance to go into the interval 3-1 up with an 84.
When play resumed, breaks of 101 and 55 extended the world number five’s lead to 5-1 against a deflated Selby.
At this stage it looked certain that Murphy would finish the session with a commanding lead, but he seemed to lose his way.
Selby has been a revelation in the tournament, eliminating Stephen Lee, Peter Ebdon and Ali Carter on his way to the last four, and he found a way back into the match.
He made 42 after Murphy missed a long blue in the seventh, which was enough to take charge of a scrappy frame that eventually went his way.
Selby profited again in the final frame of the session when Murphy carelessly snookered himself. The world number 28 made 54 before running out of position. Murphy fought back with the help of an outrageous fluke, but missed a risky blue to allow Selby to finish the session 5-3 down.
Under the circumstances, it will be Selby who left the theatre happier. Appearing in the one table stage at the world championships for the first time, he did not play well for much of the session.
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