"Absolute Dynamite!" | Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Selby | 2018 NIO SF ‒ S2

Mark Selby managed to halt the O'Sullivan charge by winning that fourth frame. A combination of money has done well in UK-based events and they won in Shanghai a couple of times. Generally in UK-based events where Mark Selby has struggled. Mark Selby has won a lot of events in Asia. Money rarely goes to the Asia. It's for the Shanghai. That's okay. Better than okay. Good follow-up. In the second frame he left over this left corner which cost him the frame. It's not quite as near the pocket this time. Plenty of a nice area there. Plenty of options. Get on before too long and that opens quite a lot up. Playing that well over the ball. Now move that red above it I think. Could be away now. Three reds all look like they go to the left middle if he needs. I think the bottom one in the five, bunch of five also pots to the bottom right pocket. 43. It's pretty obvious a couple of balls were available to that left middle. Shake of his head though O'Sullivan. Just so highly focused though isn't he? Still breezed through the early rounds but now he's playing. Just excellent match snooker. Red and the colour needed. Dave pointed out Christian Widder is going to go on and make another century here now. 73. 78. 79. Well he could well be on now for this third century. 87. Well that's amazing and he's really annoyed. He wanted another ton there. Black has stayed out on 87 but he's won in the frame and he's put Roddy O'Sullivan back in front here in Belfast. It's a measure of how great he is though that he's annoyed there that he missed the black but he still leads Mark Selby 3-2. This point he's not quite at that stage. Most difficult shot to get the cue ball back there and he's done it but now this table is very dangerous. Well he's left something to the right middle and if he does play this red he's got to play it 100%. Not even think about the possibility of missing it. Well he can get his cue to the bottom of the ball so he's playing the safety shot here but again he hasn't found the cushion and he stuck the red that he refused himself. Now this is a very significant moment if he knocks this in. Well there you have it. Well that in a nutshell tells you the difference right now between the two players and their mindset because actually I think Roddy's was a little more difficult than the one that Mark refused. 6-7. Look at these reds this really is. I was gonna say a gift but it's not really because he made it happen. 12, 13, 19, 20, 25. Keep it simple don't try and be too fancy. The reds are all in the open just keep podding balls. Eventually the winning line in the frame will come. 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 41, 46. It's been hard work. 47. Because of all the bold colors he's knocked in in this break but. 52. He's arriving at the point where the frame is just about his. Two more reds. 53. Well now he's played on the black he doesn't need two more reds. It's his frame ball. It's been a hard break although he was in with a great chance when he came to the table. Look at all the low value colors he's taken. 61. 65. But he felt that in some ways O'Sullivan's was I thought a tiny bit more difficult. He had the equal safety shot available to him as well. But he's in attacking mode all right and he's been like that all week. Well he was annoyed that he didn't make the century in the last frame. He has a chance to make one here. Yes if he made a total clearance he'd be one of the lowest I've seen. That's another magical shot look at that. 78. Make a break 112. Total clearance. 85. Chipping away those reds at the other end of the table all the way through. 87. 90. 94. So he earned the chance. 99. With the red he took on his third century of the afternoon. Next frame is massive for Marcel. He can't afford to go 5-2 down with O'Sullivan in this sort of mood. It's a total clearance of 112 from Ronnie O'Sullivan for the first time he's two frames clear in this semi-final. Strange thing about that last frame was that the first pot almost felt like frame ball. The way the reds were you just expected either one of them to make the big break and it was O'Sullivan who knocked the red in. It's a good long pot and not the worst kiss. Some discussion on twitter about the the total clearance 112. Is it one of the lowest ever? Because obviously he's taken a lot of low value colours. Chris Downer the redoubtable statistician has not seen a lower one. So attempting to nip the cue ball into the bunch here. Oh it's okay you know the red. 18. I must confess I thought he was on that red at first. He's on a more difficult one that you can see. The left hand red goes to the right corner. That's not the sort of shot you want especially with the red up there. You can stop it with a little screw shot. This becomes more difficult the more you look at it. That's a really good shot. 19. He's not got the same 26 control of the cue ball right now as O'Sullivan but as I say who has really? When he's on form nobody can match him in that department. He's pulling out shots which he's doing very well. 37. 33. 34. The shot to get into the bunch from the brown is on. Quite a big target as well and he'll settle for that. He didn't hit the bunch flush. 38. 39. This is turning into a terrific game of snooker. 46. It always had that look about it. Massive anticipation. Sometimes matches don't live up to it but this one is absolutely top class. 47. 54. He was always heading to that jaw. He wasn't sure. He smiles as well he might as the red drops. 62. Another red and a black and O'Sullivan would require a snooker. This is a quality contribution from Selby. It really is. Bearing in mind what he's been hit with this afternoon. Yes and the applause is because that was the ball. 70. Well he started with a good long putt being maybe more aggressive. Yeah I have to take chances. Not going to win waiting for them to come to go and find them. 78. Well the red stays out so the break ends at 78 but he's done enough to pull one back. An important frame I think for Mark Selby. Well he missed it on the thin side by so far that nothing in that shot that was meant to work did work. It's a nice touch. He was coming in towards that black. Well it's no good after all that. Double kiss. Not good for Selby. That was a seriously full ball double kiss wasn't it? Wasn't even a glance. So he's been in for the second time in this frame O'Sullivan. 10 years ago in this very venue he won the Northern Ireland trophy. That was a ranking event that was held for a few years a decade ago. 60. Played that particularly well as Kieran was awkward in a longish bridge over a ball. 24. Went too far. Well it's a well played split but for once his next red is not easy. Looks like he's got to play a cut back to the right corner if he's going to keep this break alive. He's come around the back of the yellow as well. Yeah we just haven't seen the unforced errors from O'Sullivan. Things have gone wrong they will do in this game but he's so in control of every facet of his game right now and of himself which is important too. 36. So edging closer to 5-3 lead. 37. Mox Selby's made comebacks many of them including against this man. 43. Not much of an angle here. 48. 49. 53. Red the black or red and the pink should be enough. 54. I wonder if those two reds are a plant to the left middle and I think at least have a look at them which he's doing. If that's a plant it means you've got nothing to do on the black. The top jaw but I think he could make it into one if he wanted. It's handy for O'Sullivan that that is there just it means that that ball was quite a simple one. 61. And now he has a chance to make a fourth century in this match and let's not forget he broke down an 87 as well in the fifth frame. 69. So it's not a century but it's a good break of 69. Mox Selby stays rooted to his seat. He's got problems here as O'Sullivan is on the brink of a place in tomorrow's final. Just playing so well and leading Mox Selby by five frames to three. Well there's a wonderful touch from O'Sullivan. It's very very close to the pink on the way through. Well this is a kind of range where Mox Selby's gonna have to start knocking balls in. Tough as it is this red. O'Sullivan strong on long potting. Eight out of ten effectively. But that's a terrific one from Selby. A very timely one as well from the world number one. He's been in this position before many times. When he won his first ranking title Mox Selby 2008 Welsh Open he was 8-5 down to O'Sullivan in the final. 198. Six. This is where the comeback begins. Seven. Usually when the player gets back into it if it does get level again the pressure starts to mount once more. Only one frame in the whole match where the person losing the frame has scored any points. That was the first frame. All the rest have been one to nil. So whoever's won the frames has dominated them completely. 22. So we'll be hoping that pattern can continue here. 33. 30. 31. 38. 39. Now for once he's not quite perfect on this. 46. A little nudge on the other red I think required here. Done well there. Start signs that he's just queuing up a little bit better now. Not that he's ever been that bad. Just failed to match O'Sullivan with his amazing scoring power. 53. Great standard. 54. As Dave has pointed out Selby not unknown to come back from behind against matches especially O'Sullivan. 59. 60. Now just looking to see I think if the left red will go past the rest of the bunch to the right corner. Obviously not in the end. This is what he felt and that's fine. And he needs a red. So it looks like the pattern's continuing. O'Sullivan knows only too well how Mark Selby often comes alive on the brink of defeat. 71. 72. Not this man though. He's missed that black which is a surprise but he's done enough with that break of 72 to pull one back. Shake his head. He's not badly on the blue. Obviously the black's got to be got into play but he's in first crucially. Not bad. Slightly over here I suppose. It's a bit of a struggle to get to. He's really stretching on this. Didn't look comfortable did it at any point. Ronald Sullivan. Six. Six. He needs an angle on the colour to get these reds open. That looks perfect. Lucky he all just slithered off the side of the bunch there. Mark Selby. He's quite dangerous or attacking whichever way you want to look at it. To play that shot he left what could be a big pocket up there to the left corner. The top red. Not a certainty but another putt directly off the red near the pocket here. Certainly played it well and goes into the bunch here. The problem is the pink and black are out of play somewhat. Wow. Goodness me. There were reds heading towards all pockets there. It was the one in the middle that did for him in the end. A bit further away from this red than he would have wanted to be. Very sweetly struck though. It'd be tough to win the frame here but you wouldn't put it beyond him the way that he's such a creative player. He's on the thin one that's all. This is proving to be a very awkward little break to make. Again the cue ball just drifts a fraction too far. It's able to be recovered overnight. It's a good shot. He's getting a huge cheer. I think the crowd are, while they're enjoying this match, I think O'Sullivan is their man of the two. A few oohs and ahhs as the white travelled towards that pocket. This has gone miles too far. That's not where he wanted to be. The right hand red of the two seems to go. He could still cut it back in but it's obviously very difficult from where he is. Terrific. That really is a special shot. He didn't want the break to end. He had a safer shot on. And after all that he misses that blue. Slight deceleration. Why he overcut it. It'll be out of his chair very quickly. That's a clever shot because he feels that the pink can be pulled directly off the red here. O'Sullivan will be pretty disappointed. More than a little bit I should think. The way that that ended. Just didn't hit that blue with any real authority for once. So still the problem of that safe red on the side cushion. I don't know if he's interested in the double but it looks the red's a bit close to the cushion for that. Possibly do it. Might be looking to get the first good safety shot in. Takes him doing that cannon. I think he played the cannon but it'll take a really really difficult shot. Well it's a tight frame and there haven't been too many of those. Frame one was the closest. All the rest as Dave was saying have been one to nil by either standards. It was not a particularly good shot at all to put the pink safe. Debated whether he'll need it at the end of this but it's just not putting O'Sullivan in any trouble here. He got so close to it. He needs some help with the blue and he's got it and he knows it. That could well have been match over had he left that on. I think he played it pretty well O'Sullivan there. Well we've had a lot of breaks today but this close frame now is thrilling. Good shot from Selby. A little tap on the table from O'Sullivan. Four points in it. Great touch. Yeah it's been quick as you can see. I'm not sure Ronnie would have turned that one down but I understand that he felt that one mistake could have been end of match. Well the off might not be the worst thing. Obviously he's got a long red. They're shaping up to get the angle on the black if he knocks this in but the pot is everything here. Very cleanly done. Looks pretty good. He's gonna need down to the blue to force a decider. So there's blue then and it looks like we're going all the way to one more frame. Mark Selby has kept his head. Stayed on his feet while all the heavy hitting, all the punches were thrown. In it goes. It's some effort I tell you to get to five each the way O'Sullivan was playing but he's done it and there'll be one more frame to decide who's going into the final. Mark Selby has so often before fighting a great rear guard action. Mark Selby five, Ronnie O'Sullivan five. One more frame then. Little smile between the players. It's been some battle. A great match this between two great great players. Ronnie O'Sullivan led 5-3. Mark Selby has fought back. It's five all. It's all on this. O'Sullivan is ahead on all the stats but Mark Selby's got one of the biggest hearts in the game and he's just stayed on his feet as I said. As you see the total points. I mean O'Sullivan well over 200 in front. That should be pretty regulation off the left cushion into the bunch. Very close to the red but it does pop. It did but it's not in. Yes and for a while it looked like the keyboard's going to head behind the yellow there on that red but it hasn't. The point is despite being hammered for a couple of frames Selby didn't lose heart. That's the thing. He just doesn't go away. It's a very good chance. Might be a red in the middle of the bunch that goes to the right corner but of course he's got the other two which go in that pocket as well if you can screw up the table. When the red he took has actually opened up two or three other reds as well. Wow has come from nowhere and that will hurt him. Too much thinking about the next red. Forgot the obvious the pot. Well if he loses now he'll remember that for a long long time that black. Is O'Sullivan still geared up? Was he thinking about the defeat that seemed to be coming his way? It seemed hard to think that Selby was going to break down when he did. He hadn't looked like missing in that break. It's going to be tough to take if he does lose now. Six. Seven. Well that's not a very good shot from O'Sullivan. A little tricky one here. Keyboard below the line of the black. Played it really well. Just the kind of shot that can can miss if you're really struggling. Are you really under some sort of extra pressure as he is? It's been a great match this isn't it but this twist. I didn't really see coming when Selby got in first. Might yet be other twists. I'm already looking at the yellow later on. Getting on it would not be straightforward with the brown covering it to his own pocket. The loud noise there in the arena didn't affect O'Sullivan. Think someone dropped something or something. Well he's a bit a little straight on this. Well that was he's trying to make an angle there that just did not exist. He was determined to play that shot even though if he'd looked at it to swing that up for the red. It's just a bit too straight. Well it's a little in between. I think he played on the red in the middle but he's he wouldn't know which pocket to play in now. Middle or down into the top right. Seven. Playing in the middle takes him down potentially towards playing the brown which could help him. It's a bit congested that yellow brown and black all in a line will give him something to think about. Someone shout out no okay he's got the snooker. It's an outrageous fluke. Hit the knuckle of the middle pocket. Well it is now one of those deciders so Sullivan happy to be back at the table but finds himself snookered. This is not nice to hit. Well I miss. Mark Selby. Seven. Three ball. What do you do here and you can have it put back. It's not a nice snooker to try and hit. Try and be a bit clever here but there's enough trouble as Sullivan behind the ball he was snookered on. Has to be the right decision I think of Selby. Here there's Micah fine referee in her own right from Germany. It's just a horrible snooker. The red is just too much in the middle of the table to be easy to hit. I'm not sure it's on. I think there's an argument here that the pink is in the way of the natural three cushion angle. Wow that was tight. All you can say is he seems to have the line. Is it a free ball? He seems to be learning this angle. It's very very tight. It's close to the pocket. Oh my word it's gone in. Can you believe it? Words fail me. What a thing to happen. What a match. What a decider. What a sport. Yeah and this goes in and he's on the yellow. Then all of a sudden it looks like he'll be favourite. Needs to pot it. Yeah he needed that. Well I think all bets are off now as to what's gonna happen next but he's given himself a chance. But yes he's not quite straight enough on this. He's looking going all around the table. Well this is a masterful shot. This really is absolute dynamite. What a touch. Yeah brilliant. I mean he was unlucky to be snookered. Obviously he was lucky to float the red but he's just been one of those deciders isn't it? He's walked around the table I think just to compose himself. He knows the brown goes. He knows where he wants to be. He just doesn't want to rush into any shots. Four balls left as Sullivan needs them all. Well the way this match has ended it's quite something. Pink and black to reach the five. Well just anywhere straightish. Screw the cue ball past the middle. Goodness me he's almost straight on this. It's a brave way of playing it 25. A memorable match this. High quality. Dramatic. A truly unbelievable finish. Ronnie O'Sullivan reaches the final here in Belfast as the players conduct their own post-mortem. He would have felt bad I'm sure about fluking the red. That's what he's like. But he made the clearance under pressure. Ronnie O'Sullivan has finally seen off Mark Selby. 6-5 on the final black.