Shanghai Masters 2023 snooker LIVE – Ronnie O'Sullivan hits back to sink Mark Selby in epic semi-final battle

Not much else you can say about the snooker GOAT when he is in the mood. Just finds a bit of form before showing off his scoring class. That 66 clearance to pinch the 14th frame will live long in the memory. Finished with runs of 69, 109 and 118 to advance to the final after contributing 113 and 52 earlier in the match. Selby coming up short despite rolling in 54, 63, 101, 99, 60, 54, 77 and 65 of his own. Thanks for joining us. We will be back with more snooker at 7am (BST) on Saturday morning when Brecel and Robertson collide.

A breathtaking clearance of 118 from O'Sullivan. He will face Luca Brecel or Neil Robertson on Sunday. The best of 21-frame final should be a bit special. Selby played his part in a terrific semi-final, but Ronnie a merited winner. £210,000 for the winner of this tournament. Nice work if you can get it.

Rocket Ronnie is heading for the final on Sunday as he chases a fourth straight title in Shanghai. The last four frames have been vintage O'Sullivan.

Ronnie on the cusp of the final here. Could be another century to finish off the match. Has been transformed since winning the pivotal 14th frame.

First real opportunity for Ronnie to get this match won. He sees a white disappear down a middle bag, but Selby can't convert from distance and presents his opponent with a decent chance to score. Mark looking a bit forlorn.

Has been an astonishing change in the mood of this match since the Jester missed that pink in the 14th frame. But a poor break-off shot gives him first go at this table. Can only make four as red stays out and O'Sullivan follows in with another brilliant red.

A majestic 109 clearance from O'Sullivan and he moves 9-7 clear. Needs one more frame to claim victory having trailed 7-6, and looking certain to fall 8-6 behind. His 1,207 career century. Different gravy when he is in this mood. Really is.

Looking very good for a 9-7 lead for O'Sullivan at this visit. Is really clicking into top gear at exactly the right time. Could be another century on the cards too. Break reaches 82.

Selby misses a red on 28. Wasn't easy, but didn't expect Mark to miss that across the table. Looks a bit bemused, and Ronnie is handed chance to regain momentum. Starting to really hit the white ball well out there.

O'Sullivan can't tickle home a long red at outset of the 16th frame. Has to regain focus after the drama involving the referee. Early chance for Selby to reassert himself in a fascinating duel of styles and wits.

Ronnie almost over the line, but not quite. A break of 69 from Ronnie before he goes in off with white clipping brown. O'Sullivan sinks a fine red seconds later and rolls up behind the brown. Referee then calls a foul when O'Sullivan clearly hit the brown. Crowd moaning about that call. Referee has reversed the decision after minute or two. And Selby concedes. Which he might well have done anyway. As it was never a foul. Not sure what the match official is doing out there. Second error he has made in this match after O'Sullivan hit a red earlier on and he said the snooker GOAT had hit black. Poor officiating, but at least we got there in the end.

Another stunning long red by Ronnie to get the party started in this frame. Confidence-boosting piece of straight cueing. Would dearly love to follow up that massive steal in the previous frame with a big contribution in the 15th frame.

What an astonishing counter punch this could be. Landed perfectly on red in baulk to enable him to bring the white back down for the black. O'Sullivan clears the table to the final black with 66 and he draws level again at 7-7. Selby must be wondering what just happened. The final positional shot on black to red and back to black was on a different level. Remarkable play by Rocket Ronnie.

Well, didn't expect that. Selby needing pink to clinch frame, but misses the frame ball off its spot. Chance for O'Sullivan to launch the counter attack, but one of final two reds is in baulk and he needs a black off it.

The Jester from Leicester is in no laughing mood out there. Fully focussed on the job at hand as he reaches 50. Picking these balls off like he is sinking pool balls. Not much Ronnie can do when he is sitting in his seat.

Selby left with a nice opening red to drop in early in the frame. With black in the open, this looks like a very decent opportunity.

Another poor break-off shot by Selby in the 14th frame, but no damage done for the four-time world champion. Just the safety shot to come from O'Sullivan.

A clinical clearance of 77 from Selby finalises the 13th frame. He leads 7-6 in the race to 10. O'Sullivan will rue a missed opportunity. A 15-minute break for a cuppa then they return to play this semi-final to a conclusion.

Well, not much between Selby and a 7-6 lead. Reds all out in the open, and O'Sullivan is forced to sit and digest the fact these balls could have been his. Seemed to lose his way for once among the balls, and it is going to cost him the frame.

O'Sullivan furious with himself after losing position when he looked poised to make a big break. Shaking his head. And now he is unhappy with someone with a camera. Selby will feel like he has been handed a reprieve.

This time Mark doesn't get the right split on the pack of reds. Faced with a tough cut on a red to top pocket, but he leaves the object ball in the jaws. Almost dropped, but not quite. And power passes back to the Rocket. Real chance to crack on here.

O'Sullivan with corker of an opening red. But he doesn't play the split well on the blue, and is forced to run safe seconds later. One more frame before the mid-session break.

Well, this semi-final match continues to go one way and then another as Ronnie shows his mettle to clear to the pink. Didn't need the final black. And we are level again at 6-6.

Selby into the lead with knock of 40. Drills home a mid-range red with some authority. One red left in baulk near a side cush remains the saviour for O'Sullivan. Otherwise would expect the Jester to take out this frame for a 7-5 lead. But he snookers himself on the final red and will have to settle for the break of 54. O'Sullivan clips the final red down the cushion for a fabulous pot into a top pocket. Brilliant shot. Chance to pinch frame.

Ronnie quickly up to 38, but not going into the bunch of reds sees him forced to declare on that number. And a loose safety shot enables Mark to fire home a red to left centre in response. So the Selby counter is underway.

Safety mistake by Selby trying to run off the pack of reds, and O'Sullivan is presented with an easy opener of red over top bag. Important to score a few points here you would argue.

Another exacting 11th frame, but Selby finally sees it off. Fortunate you could argue not to end up seeing the white disappear that could have changed the narrative, but the Jester plays some tough shots late in the frame to scramble over the line. He leads 6-5. Two more frames before the mid-session break.

Selby holes the red he needs after a safety blunder by O'Sullivan, but no black to follow. A lead of 36 with a possible 35 remaining. So Ronnie needing a snooker.

Selby has chance to win the frame, but overcuts the red to left middle by some distance. Then he somehow knocks the yellow in off another red after snookering O'Sullivan before escaping brilliantly from being put back in by Ronnie. All sorts going on. But still involved in a tense safety battle to settle this. Two reds remain on table, Selby needs one of them.

A fine break of 60 from Selby, but he can't dislodge one of the two final reds. So has to take his medicine. And run safe. Frame not yet over with a possible 42 points remaining, and 39 the difference.

Has done the hard part here Mark in freeing up the black. Almost potted the yellow off a red. Which would have been disaster. But yellow stays up and he is making some good progress here. Into the lead on a run of 25.

Stunning shot by Ronnie to sink a tough red to right middle. What a shot that is from the snooker GOAT to break the deadlock. Far from easy this table. And he misses a tricky yellow too.

Ronnie is throwing in some expert tactical stuff today too. Has to compete with Mark on the safety side, and has been well up to it today so far.

O'Sullivan pops in the final red before taking black and clearing to the pink. Needed two bites at the cherry, but gets the job done. We are level again at 5-5.

But Selby can't sink the tricky red. Was such a tough shot, and he has set up the final red for O'Sullivan to claim the frame. Now in his hands.

Only one tricky red left on a side cushion. Rest of the table is very inviting. But he isn't ideal on the final red with a tough cutback.

No winning thrust. Couldn't pot a black full ball to a top pocket, and it clips another red. So 52 is Ronnie's lot at this visit. Chance for Selby to launch the counter attack.

Huge crowd appreciating O'Sullivan's break-building skills. Brilliant recovery pot on a red down table to yellow pot to keep the break going.

Ronnie flukes a red and rolls in a brown to follow to right centre. That is a solid pot to the right middle straight off the bat. Have to cash in when the roll of the ball goes your way.

Boys back on the baize then. This could be quite a close finale you suspect. Four frames to be played before the mid-session break.

Almost ready to get the afternoon/evening session underway at the Shanghai Masters. The first semi-final is delicately poised with Mark Selby holding a 5-4 lead over defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, who led 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but watched his old rival dominate the final two frames of the first session to edge 5-4 clear. A possible 10 frames to play. Which way is it going to go? Difficult one to call. And then some. First man to 10 will reach Sunday's final with Rocket Ronnie chasing a fourth straight crown at the elite invitational event.

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While we wait for O'Sullivan and Selby to resume, let's hear from Neil Robertson about his win over Fan Zhengyi, and his admiration for The Rocket.

Selby jaws the yellow needing one more pot for the century. 99 break. What a shame. But the four-time world champion leads 5-4 after a tough old first session. They play to a finish at 12:30pm (BST) with first man to 10 reaching Sunday's final.

Going to be a narrow 5-4 lead for Selby at the end of this session. A fascinating few hours of snooker, and nothing really between them.

Pace of the table was causing problems early on, but no longer an issue out in the arena. Both men going to end the session in pretty good scoring form. Sets it up for a gripping final session tonight.

Selby right in the groove in this ninth frame of the day. Having to do his work with the pink and blue due to the black being tied up on a side cushion, but no problems so far. Taking these balls well so far.

A 101 break from Selby to follow the 113 by O'Sullivan. Warming up nicely in Shanghai. One more frame to play. Selby yet to lead in this match.

Selby heading for his first century of the tournament at this visit..

Looks like we are heading back to 4-4 then. One more frame of this opening session to play. Fatal error in the frame in failing to escape from the Selby snooker. Rest has been as you would expect with Selby making a third half-century.

Another 14 from Selby before he rolls up behind the brown. And he prompts the miss from his opponent on the pack of reds coming off one cush to make the escape. Another decent chance then to move further clear in this frame after O'Sullivan is short of pace the second time trying to escape. Sticks up the red.

O'Sullivan concedes five points early on after clipping blue trying to run safe off reds, but that is your lot so far in this frame. Black tied up. So this frame could take some sorting out. Until O'Sullivan butchers a long attempt at a red to leave Selby with easy starter. Jester rattles red into jaws of a top pocket seconds later.

In goes the yellow, and that is his fourth century of the week. Classy level of play here. 113 of his very best to lead 4-3 in the race, or should we say climb, to 10 frames. Two more frames remaining of the afternoon sesh.

This is much more like it from O'Sullivan. Has that cue ball under lock and key in this break. Looks like it is going to be a one-visit kill for Ronnie. And could be a century on the cards.

Ronnie winning the mini-safety exchange on that occasion. So another chance to get hand on table to score a few points. Plays a delightful recovery shot on a red using his left hand.

Early red and yellow combo from Selby after a poor break-off shot by O'Sullivan. But nothing beyond that. And we are back into a tactical joust.

A break of 63 from Selby to level us up at 3-3. Says it all about the unpredictable nature of this semi-final that 63 is the highest break of the match so far. Both men with chances to win frames, but nobody pulling clear so far. Three more frames to come in this first session.

Brilliant shot by Selby to knock red into right middle via the pink before rolling in another superb red to middle before releasing the red near black. Glorious shot and every chance to get the frame won at this visit.

Nice starter for Ronnie in this sixth frame after safety error by Selby. Then conjures up a brilliant recovery pot on a red to yellow pocket, and this looks promising for the snooker GOAT. But again the break ends on 29. Disappointing return from that opening as a tough red across the table doesn't threaten the bag.

Real tussle between two battle-hardened experts of the green baize. O'Sullivan bags the pink from distance to put the frame to bed again. A 3-2 lead for the world No. 1.

O'Sullivan with a fine long pot on final red. In goes black, yellow and green. Pops in brown he needs. But blue doesn't drop. A lead of 22 points with 18 left up. Selby coming back to play for snookers. And he gets white behind black with pink in baulk. Tough snooker for Ronnie to escape from. But he gets there. Just scrapes pink. Job done.

Break of 37 from Selby to haul himself back into the reckoning in this frame. Trails by four with two reds left up. O'Sullivan sinks the penultimate red, but just the lag behind green to follow.

42 break from O'Sullivan, but no more than that as he splits the cluster of reds off black. Leaves him tough red to yellow pocket, but it doesn't drop.

Tactical misjudgement by Selby with white in middle of table, and O'Sullivan has chance to get hand on table then. Important that he gets that cue arm working you would suggest.

This frame seeing both men jostle for a position with another dose of quality safety shot before Selby unearths a fluke via another excellent safety. Selby comfortable duking it out on the baulk cushion at all times.

Off we go then for the fifth frame of a possible 19 in this semi-final. Five more frames to be played this morning. Or this afternoon if you are in Shanghai.

And Selby finalises the fourth frame to bring this contest level at 2-2. Another five frames to play in this morning session. All nicely poised with neither man dominating at the moment.

O'Sullivan really controlling this safety battle as he rolls in a red before laying a snooker behind the brown. But the escape is excellent, and O'Sullivan misses a tricky red into a top pocket. Well, that is remarkable. Looked for all the world like Ronnie would score, but suddenly Selby is right back in business boosted by some trademark escapology.

Selby looking good to restore parity at 2-2, but we've said that already in this match. And there you go. Reaches 29, but misses green to right middle pocket. All a bit twitchy out there. Can O'Sullivan string a few points together of his own? Just the nine before he is forced to take his medicine and run safe behind the brown.

O'Sullivan drops in a terrific long red to get the party started in the fourth frame. But no colour to follow.

A break of 54 from Selby before he reaches the final two reds. O'Sullivan then tries to run safe off the two reds, but referees calls foul on black. It looks like he might have hit reds first, but referee is adamant it was black first. Well, that is contentious. Anyway, Selby drops the red into right centre seconds later after another O'Sullivan safety mistake, and that is the first frame on the board to the four-time world champion. A 2-1 lead for Ronnie.

Real safety blunder by O'Sullivan leaves him hanging his head in frustration. No wonder. Has provided his opponent with a glorious chance to piece together a meaningful break at this visit among the reds.

All sorts going on out there so far as Selby suffers a huge kick, but O'Sullivan can only run in 14 before a white drops. O'Sullivan then fires home a brilliant long red. That will do his confidence no harm at all.

Selby with chance to roll in pink from distance after O'Sullivan fails to sink a speculative double down the table. But nothing doing as he can't tickle the pink into the green bag. Ronnie accepts his chance to put the frame to bed at fourth time of asking. He finally leads 2-0.

Both men with obvious chances to pot pink, but not taken. Alan McManus believes it is down to the new cloth. A fascinating start to this match, it must be said. Chance for Selby on pink down side cush, but he rattles jaws.

Frame still wide open as Selby can't clear the colours. Snookers himself on pink after potting blue, and more safety ensues as O'Sullivan narrowly fails to sink a double on the pink. Tense end to an absorbing second frame.

But he can't put frame to bed as black to left middle doesn't drop. Well, didn't see that coming. And Selby has the chance of a counter punch as a red to green pocket finds the mark. Could be a huge steal coming up as Mark heads for colours.

Supreme recovery pot on green by O'Sullivan before he tucks a red from mid-range into the rigging. Made that look easy. Back onto the black, and this is a superb chance to move 2-0 ahead here with reds suddenly all out in the open. Time to fill your boots time.

Selby with breaks of 87, 83, 80, 75 and 63 against Trump in the last eight. He gets the second frame off and running. Selby with a poor break-off, but O'Sullivan can't punish as a black stays up from a tough cutback. Selby goes into the reds off that black, but somehow converts a three-ball plant in the process. So unfortunate. "Can Ronnie pounce?" Is the question asked by 1994 Masters champion Alan McManus in comms. He usually does.

And it is Rocket Ronnie who strikes first. Not the greatest safety by Selby and O'Sullivan despatches final long red with sound cut to yellow pocket before clearing to the pink with some decent ball striking notable. Could have gone either way, but it is the snooker GOAT who strikes first in Shanghai. O'Sullivan leads 1-0.

Mark can't find position on the final red. So he lays a nice snooker behind black, but Ronnie responds with an excellent escape. Tap on the table from Selby to acknowledge that shot.

Well, a few surprising misses as another attempt on a red from O'Sullivan fails to drop. Got close to a red on side cushion off potting blue, but can't convert. Reprieve for Selby. Down to the final two reds.

Selby looking very relaxed with his surroundings as he clips home a fine cut on a red, but he breaks down on 34 as a red to right centre stays out. Didn't see that coming, and O'Sullivan is back at the table with an easy opener on a red. This first frame back in the balance.

16 off the bat from Ronnie before he loses position and runs safe. A settling in period is underway. Conditions look decent for scoring in Shanghai. Safety error by O'Sullivan presents Selby with his first chance of the chance.

Off we go then for this first semi-final. O'Sullivan gets the match off and running. Down to one table, and the crowd give both men a rousing reception. O'Sullivan first to the punch in the opening frame of the day.

A dominant 6-1 win in the quarter-finals against the Masters champion shows how well the four-time world champion is playing.

Fair to say, O'Sullivan showed his mettle in the last four on Thursday by winning the final four frames from 5-2 behind, including two centuries to finish. Higgins had chances to complete the victory, but you get punished at this level if you don't put men like O'Sullivan away when the chance comes along.

Or wherever you are in the world. This match needs no introduction. The sport's GOAT and ultimate showman Ronnie O'Sullivan against the game's finest match player Mark Selby. A contest boasting 11 world titles on one table. One of the genuine snooker rivalries as a clash of styles collide in this best-of-19 frame semi-final. To be settled over two sessions. Nine in the morning, and a possible 10 in the afternoon. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in sport? Should be a fascinating Friday with your morning cuppa. 7am start (BST) in Shanghai.

...to live coverage of Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Selby at the Shanghai Masters.

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