Mark Selby Vs Neil Robertson:
Neil Robertson had the first chance of this semi-final with a good long red, but he missed the black off of its spot immediately and left everything for Mark Selby. Mark took full advantage with a break of 65 to take the opener and lead 1-0. Both players had chances in the second frame, the best of which probably went to Mark who made 54 before missing the final red along the cushion, which was frame ball. A fantastic clearance from Robertson including some fabulous pots on the final colours levelled the scores in the early stages at 1-1. Both players had chances again early in frame three, but it was Neil Robertson who had the best one this time after a well-executed red from range and he made 46 to leave Selby needing snookers with three reds left and he got the snooker he needed on the yellow. Robertson potted the yellow to leave Selby needing a snooker again on the green, which again he managed to get but when Neil got a snooker back and played an expert double on the green that was enough for him to win the frame and move 2-1 ahead. Mark had a brilliant chance at the beginning of frame four with the reds split beautifully and the black available to both corners, and it looked like a frame winning chance if he could keep good cue ball control. Mark certainly made the most of his chance with a superb 133 century break making it 2-2 at the mid-session interval.
Following the break, both players had opportunities but
couldn’t make very much from them. Mark had the best chance soon after though
as Neil left a red over the corner from his safety shot and Mark was able to
get on the black from it, and with the reds open it looked like a golden
opportunity to win the frame at that visit. He didn’t take full advantage
though missing a red on 48 to the middle leaving him 34 ahead with 51 on the
table. The next chance fell to Neil and he looked good until missing the final
red along the cushion and leaving it for Mark who cleared to take a 3-2
advantage. A red from range got Selby in again in frame six, and he decided to
split the pack from the first blue, to give him the best possible chance of
making a large contribution. With pink and black out of play however, it was
always going to be tough to keep finding position on the blue or one of the
baulk colours and on 34 lost position. Robertson had the next opening but had
only made 13 when he missed a red along the bottom rail. From the position
Robertson left, Selby added 29 which was enough to move 4-2 in front with two
frames left of the session. Neil was in first in frame seven after Mark left
him a red over the middle, but he missed the black straight away after being
put off by someone in the crowd. From what was left Selby managed 18 before
losing position after a cannon to the reds and he played safe. Mark had the
next brilliant chance and an additional 72 was more than enough for Mark to
guarantee an end of session lead, leading 5-2 with one frame to go. Having lost
the last three frames in a row, Neil couldn’t afford to lose a fourth on the
trot and needed a big response. A missed long red early in the eighth from
Mark, left the Australian the chance to do just that. After getting a good
split on 44, Neil looked in the mood to make this a frame winning effort. His
contribution of 130 ensured that he finished the session only a couple of
frames behind at 5-3 to Selby.
The first frame of the second session was scrappy as both
players had chances but couldn’t make anything substantial, until Neil got in
with 8 reds remaining adding 46 to his score building a 48 point lead with 51
on the table. When Neil was left a chance at the red he needed for the frame he
didn’t squander it and was able to close the gap to just a frame at 4-5.
Robertson also had the first running in frame ten as Mark fouled and left him
an a free ball that he could use to get a good break going and a break of 113
followed to level the match up at 5-5. Neil had the first chance of frame eleven
after a thundering long red, but a missed pink on just 13 was somewhat
unexpected after the flawless century in the last and Mark Selby would’ve been
relieved to in and potting balls. Mark went into the reds taking his break to 8
and by 16 he had the pink back on its spot to make it into a really good
opportunity to move ahead again in this match. A break of 53 from Mark was
enough to leave Neil needing two snookers, which he couldn’t get so it was 6-5
to Selby. Another crunching red from range gave Neil Robertson the first
opening in frame twelve before the mid-session break, but he broke down on 20
missing a tough blue to the corner with awkward bridging. That let Selby in
again with the balls nicely situated. However, he also only made 20 after
leaving himself awkward on the black so choosing to opt to play the blue over
the pocket, but he failed to get back for another red and had to play safe. The
Jester had the next couple of chances, as he set about trying to edge into the
lead in this frame. The final red was awkwardly situated so he decided to roll
up behind the brown from the previous colour, 24 ahead with just 35 remaining.
A miss from Robertson left a free ball where Mark potted two pinks to go 35
ahead with 35 on, before playing safe on that final red again. When Mark potted
the final red with the pink though that was well and truly frame over as Mark
went into the break leading 7-5.
Following the interval, Robertson knocked in yet another
emphatic long red to give him the first chance of the frame. The reds were open
early but he still had to pick them off well and a break of 72 came from doing
just that as Neil pulled one back at 6-7. He had the first chance of frame
fourteen as well after a poorly executed safety from Selby, though he missed a
tricky red on 11 and left the opening for Mark. He only made 28 from the
initial chance, but it wasn’t long before he was back in again, yet a missed
pink halted him in his tracks, before Neil left him yet another chance. Yet
again though it was bits and pieces for Selby as he missed another difficult
red leaving him 36 ahead with 59 on now. Neil couldn’t make any of the tough
starters he was left, and each time he was leaving Selby in. This time Mark
made it count and left Robertson needing two snookers with two reds left, which
he didn’t get putting Selby 8-6 in front with two frames left in the session.
Once more in frame fifteen, Neil made a superb red from range to give himself
the initial bite of the cherry, repeating the pattern somewhat though he only
made 19 before having to play safe. A superb all or nothing plant from Mark
Selby earned him the next scoring visit and as part of playing the plant, all
of the reds were at his mercy. A break of 64 left him just a couple of balls
from getting past the post, but he played his intended cannon to the wrong ball
and had to play safe. With three reds left and a 44 point deficit Robertson was
incredibly unlucky to pot a long red, go around the table with the cue ball and
in off to leave himself needing two snookers to win the frame, but that was all
academic when Selby chipped in a brilliant red of his own from the ball in hand
to guarantee an end of session advantage at 9-6 ahead with one more frame to
play. The last frame of the session was key even at a very early stage of the
match, and Selby had the first opportunity. He made 53 before missing a black
off of the spot and that could’ve been a crucial mistake with the frame being
his for the taking. That let Neil back to the table. Once he chipped the awkward
red out into the open he looked set to clear and steal the frame to get himself
back into this match and that is exactly what he did with a run of 61 to close
the gap to two at the end of the session at 7-9 to Selby.
In third session of the match, Mark Selby had an early
chance with plenty of reds open to build a commanding lead. A fantastic
clearance of 104 from Mark put him a good position in this match now at 10-7.
Neil Robertson needed a response, and a good long red gave him the first chance
to do so in frame eighteen and he made it into a full chance with a break of 85
to make the gap two again at 8-10. The nineteenth frame was very much a scrappy
one, though it was Neil Robertson who did most of the early running. After a
couple of half chances, he eventually got a full chance mid-way through the
frame. It was still a difficult table but he did manage to make enough from
those chances to go 60 points ahead with 75 remaining. The next opportunity
fell to Mark after a well-executed plant, yet the balls were still very tricky
to make a clearance, though he did well until deciding not to risk the pot on
the final red and playing safe with a 22 point deficit. Mark took the long pot
on, but when he rattled it in the jaws it was left for Robertson and he was able
to do enough to leave Mark needing a snooker on the yellow, but he wasn’t able
to get it so the Australian closed to within a frame of Selby at 9-10. Neil
Robertson was let in first again in frame twenty after Selby missed a half
chance at a red with the rest. 13 was all he managed however, as he missed the
blue from its spot. With the blue running safe though and the black, pink and
even brown out of play for now the chance left for Mark wasn’t going to be
easy, and he played safe early on. After a long period of safety play, Selby
let Robertson back in around the reds , and he cleared down to the final red
leaving Selby needing two snookers which was plenty for Robertson to level the
match up at 10-10 going into the mid-session interval.
Following the break, a missed red from range by Selby gave
the initial opening in frame twenty-one to his opponent. He made 36 before
losing his position on a colour and playing safe. Mark had the next opportunity
though with the reds very nicely placed after a nicely picked out long pot. A
superb break of 73 regained him his advantage going 11-10 up. After chances for
both players early on in frame twenty two, but Mark had the best of those
chances mid-way through. A break of 49 to go with the earlier points the Jester
had accumulated, was enough for him to take the frame and move into a two frame
advantage again at 12-10. A confident red from range got Neil in first in the
twenty-third frame, and when he split the reds from the first blue he looked in
a position where could make at least 50 points. He made 64 before having to go
into the remaining reds, but he failed to land nicely on one and played safe up
the table. Selby had the next opportunity and cleared the remaining reds with a
run of 39 before missing the yellow leaving him 25 ahead with 27 on. After a
Selby foul and Robertson potting the yellow though, Selby was left needing
snookers and Robertson pulled a frame back to trail 11-12. Looking to level the
match going into the final session, Neil crunched in yet another long red to
get himself in at the business end. He made 37 before missing the black off of
its spot going into reds, but luckily for him he wouldn’t have landed on a red
anyway, so a safety battle commenced. With the balls spread across the table, a
missed red to the middle from Selby looked like costing him the frame and it
did as a break of 40 was enough for him to close out the session and level the
game at 12-12.
The beginning of the fourth session saw a large period of
safety and chances for both players until Neil Robertson stroked in a beautiful
long pot to give himself an opportunity with plenty of reds in the open. He
made the most of it too as a run of 74 put him in front at 13-12. A brilliant
long pot on a red in baulk again gave Neil the first opportunity of frame
twenty-six. He made it to 40 in the break before losing position splitting the
bunch and playing safe. Soon after Mark crunched in his own red from range and
when he went into the pack he was successful in splitting the reds and landing
on one, developing it into a frame winning opening. A break of 79 followed as
Mark levelled the match again at 13-13. The first decent chance in frame
twenty-seven went to Mark again after Neil left him a tempter to the middle
which Selby played to perfection, but he could only make 14 before losing
position. He didn’t have to wait long for his next chance however, and this
time he only added 7 before missing a tough red. Selby had the next chance as
well though after Robertson left Selby being able to see the red over the
corner. This time he put himself into a 46 point lead but still with 59 points
available. Neil potted the next red with a blue to go 40 adrift with 51 on the
table, but when Selby potted the next couple of reds that was enough to put him
ahead in the match again at 14-13. The frame before the interval was now key as
Neil Robertson looked to square the match up again and he had the first good
chance to do so. A well worked break of 53 was enough to leave Mark needing
snookers which he couldn’t get so the match was level again at 14-14.
After the break, Robertson was in first but he went in-off
after splitting the pack from the black on 1 and that left a great chance for
Selby to capitalise. A break of 77 ensured that he did to go 15-14 in front. A
fantastic shot at the start of frame thirty from Selby to pot a red over the
corner, split into the bunch and land perfectly on the black gave Mark Selby
the ultimate early opportunity. A break of 54 gave him a nice 48 point lead but
there was still plenty left if the Australian got his chance. Mark was back in
next however, and an additional 16 looked like being enough and it was as Selby
was a frame from victory now at 16-14. Mark had the first opening once more in
frame thirty-one as he looked to build a nice platform from which he could try
and seal the match in this frame. He only made 14 though before running out a
position and a confident red from range gave Robertson the next chance. Once
the reds were well split he looked like winning the frame and his 103rd
century break of the season secured it with a contribution of 108 closing the
gap to just a frame with a possible two to play trailing 15-16. In frame
thirty-two Selby made a good pot to grab the first opportunity, seeking out the
frame he needed without going to a decider. From this chance he made into a
full opportunity with 74 leaving Robertson snookers he couldn’t get and Mark
Selby was into the World Championship final with a fantastic 17-15 victory.
What a superb and close match that was between two such evenly matched players throughout the four sessions, and it was a match that neither one really deserved to lose and could've easily been a World Championship final itself. That match will take some topping so you know that the top 3 will have been even more impressive. Be sure to come back tomorrow and find out who takes 3rd place.
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