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| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 15 April-1 May |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Four-time world champion Mark Selby fought back to claim a 7-6 lead against Mark Allen in a gruelling World Championship semi-final.
Northern Ireland’s Allen claimed a tactical opener to extend his overnight lead to 6-3.
England’s Selby took the next four in a session that was remarkably cut short by three frames because of the protracted nature of several frames.
Three frames lasted more than 40 minutes and there were two re-racks.
Their match will resume at 10:00 BST on Saturday.
Allen, who is featuring in the last four at the Crucible for the first time since 2009, appeared to lose momentum after failing to take the opportunity to disturb the final red and black in the 10th frame, when he had a healthy lead.
Instead he elected to leave himself with a safety shot and Selby, who required a snooker, eventually pinched the frame to kick-start his comeback.
It set the tone for a session that concluded after five frames instead of the scheduled eight.
Analysis – ‘A dark cloud came over the table’
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, speaking on BBC Two
It was not pretty. It is not snooker that I want to watch but I understand that snooker has to be played in different ways and balls can dictate that.
It was like the players were trying to be too precise and exact in their match-play. We go back to that pink, with Mark Allen 6-3 up, to bring the red or black into play. He then loses it and from then on a dark cloud came over the match table.
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By Steve Sutcliffe
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