Scottish Open snooker 2020 - Mark Selby leads Ronnie O'Sullivan in final after afternoon session

ByEurosport

Updated 13/12/2020 at 16:59 GMT

World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, who beat Mark Selby in an absolute epic at the Crucible in the semi-finals, is taking on a man who he has had famous battles with over the last few years. Selby leads the Rocket at the third Home Nations event of the season heading into the final's conclusion which you can watch or following along on Eurosport 1, eurosport.co.uk and/or the Eurosport app.

Mark Selby

Image credit: Eurosport

Defending champion Mark Selby has a commanding 6-2 lead over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Scottish Open final in Milton Keynes as he bids for an 11th straight ranking event final triumph against his old foe.

It was a characteristically clinical display from Selby, who dismantled Jamie Jones 6-1 in the semis, and the 37-year-old was rarely troubled by the six-time defending world champion O'Sullivan as they head into the final's evening session which gets underway at 6.45pm on Eurosport.

Selby took the first frame with a break of 56, before the Rocket responded by rattling in a quick 72 to level the tie. But the Jester From Leicester continued to impress as he left the Rocket needing a snooker en route to registering his first ton.

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Even when Selby potted the all-important pink in the fourth and then bounced the black up the table to go 3-1 up before the interval, O’Sullivan played on until referee Leo Scullion intervened.

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O’Sullivan reduced the deficit with a brilliant 58 clearance to prevent the session from completely slipping away from his grasp, but Selby went on to edge further ahead with a hard-fought half century.

Selby, playing with confidence, motored on with an emphatic 77 clearance to set up a potentially decisive final frame in the afternoon session.

A subdued O'Sullivan was left bemused as he missed a crucial red in the eighth and Selby mopped up with a break of 90 to go three away from retaining the Scottish Open title.