After falling behind by three frames, Selby overcame Allen to win 7–6 overnight, while Luca Brecel and Si Jiahui triumphed in the other semi-final.
After the World Championship semi-final between Mark Allen and Selby was called off three frames ahead of schedule in Sheffield, Stephen Hendry criticized the players for bringing a “dark cloud” to the Crucible.
After a tough session where safety play won out and both players seemed reluctant to take on big pots, Selby overcame a three-frame deficit to establish a 7–6 overnight advantage over his opponent.
Hendry, a seven-time world champion, stated: “A dark cloud came over the match table at the Crucible while I was doing punditry for the BBC.
“It wasn’t attractive. Although I know that snooker must be played in a variety of ways, it’s not the kind of snooker I want to watch. It appears as though they are attempting to play matches with an excessive amount of precision. Just occasionally play with the ball.
Si Jiahui and Luca Brecel, on the other hand, played two exciting sessions in their semifinal match, with the Belgian winning the final five frames of the night to trail his Chinese opponent 14-10 at night.
There was always going to be more attritional play in Selby’s matchup with Allen, who has been criticized for his sluggish play this season despite winning three titles.
After the strange session, seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan joked that Selby and Allen should have “their own comedy show.”
O’Sullivan stated on Eurosport that “the crowd seemed to enjoy it.” Some folks at home will enjoy watching snooker in this manner.
Some prefer to watch the offensive side of the game, while others prefer to play defense and analyze every shot.
They would make a great double act with the referee included, so perhaps they should put on their own comedy show! They are enjoyable companions.
It took a superb pink from the Allen to finally clinch a 45-minute opening frame.
That took Allen three frames clear at 6-3 but the Northern Irishman missed a golden chance to extend his lead, with out-of-sorts Selby dredging deep to claim the snooker he required before nervelessly clearing to reduce the deficit.
The four-time champion built on his reprieve as he recovered from 33 points down to take the 11th frame with a brilliant 95 clearance, and Allen paid for two more missed opportunities in the next as Selby duly levelled.
Another marathon frame went Selby’s way before the duo shook hands and went off to prepare ahead of their scheduled return on Saturday morning and what promises to be a long-drawn out concluding session on Saturday evening.
