Mark Selby v Marco Fu: Selby sets up final with Ding after edging Fu in epic struggle

Mark Selby battled past Marco Fu to make the final of Snooker's World Championship at The Crucible.

The pair started the final session locked at 12-12, and once again it seemed there would be nothing to split them as they won frames on an alternating basis right up to 15-15 - with both players in form and making a century each along the way.

After Selby went 16-15 ahead, however, the pattern was broken: in a 32nd frame which saw both players enjoy several chances it was the Jester from Leicester who came through to make the final, two years after he lifted the trophy.

Ding had earlier become the first player from Asia to reach the final with an 18-11 win over fellow qualifier Alan McManus. The players are tied at 10-10 in career meetings.

The final starts at 2pm on Sunday and is played over four sessions on Sunday and Monday with the first man to 18 frames winning the tournament and a record first prize of £330,000.

Selby will be appearing in his third final. He lost the 2007 final to John Higgins, but produced a rousing recovery from 10-5 behind to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14 two years ago.

"The last session is probably the best I've played in the match, I hung in there and kept clinging on," said the man nicknamed 'The Jester from Leicester'.

"The other sessions I felt nervy and twitchy.

"I definitely need to up my game, I feel like I have played three or four good sessions in the tournament."

"I'm just happy to be in the final. I know I need to score. Ding has proved he's a great break builder.

"It is fantastic to achieve it (winning the title) once, but I'll be out there trying my hardest."

Fourth session (Selby first): 64-15, 1-116 (98), 75-7 (63), 5-100 (100), 101-0 (101), 0-147 (50,73), 79-4, 94-53

World number one Mark Selby is tied at 12-12 with Marco Fu after an extraordinary third session of their semi-final at The Crucible.

Mark Selby and Marco Fu split the honours in the third session of an enthralling - and epic - World Championship semi-final at The Crucible, which is tied at 12-12 going into Saturday evening's finale.

With the tension building both players missed plentiful chances - but the safety and tactical play was often superb as the world number one battle with the Hong Kong star.

Picking up at 8-8, Selby got the best start as he took the first and second frames of the morning, the latter with a 125 break.

Fu hit back with a 108 before Selby clinched a nervy 21st frame 65-43.

Breaks of 71 and 77 then put Fu 12-11 ahead, only for Selby to level things once more after an outrageously-long 24th frame, the longest of the tournament so far.

The players battled for almost half an hour on the yellow alone before Selby finally broke the deadlock and cleared to the blue to make sure that the duo head into the final session all square.

And a late finish seems guaranteed, given that it took nearly five hours for eight frames to be played - and the final frame was clocked at one hour 16 minutes, the longest-ever at The Crucible.

Third session scores (Fu's scores first): 12-66, 0-125 (125), 59-55, 109-8 (108) 43-65, 80-0 (71), 77-0 (77), 43-3

Marco Fu staged a remarkable comeback against Mark Selby, stunning the world number one with four unanswered frames as the pair finished the second session 8-8.

The match is finely poised heading into Saturday morning's third session - but it seemed after a few frames on Friday afternoon that it would be Selby's match to lose.

The Jester from Leicester took two of the opening three frames to lead 7-4, and with all those frames having been close-fought affairs it seemed Selby's superior tactical powers would continue to hold sway.

But Fu caught fire thereafter, racking up breaks of 135, 114 and 81 as he won the next four frames in a row - despite losing the tip of his cue at one point in the 15th frame, forcing a 10-minute pause in proceedings.

Selby eventually did well to steady himself and claim the final frame of the session to ensure that he heads into the match's third day with the scores level.

Frame scores(Selby scores second): 65-52 (Selby 52), 54-67 (55), 55-64, 135-0 (135) 67-8, 114-19 (114), 81-5 (81), 34-81

World number one Mark Selby ended the opening session of his World Championship semi-final with a 5-3 lead over Marco Fu.

Selby claimed the early lead but will be left kicking himself after missing several good opportunities after the opening session of this World Championship semi-final against Hong Kong's Fu.

The world number one won the opening three frames, and after Fu hit back with a 76 Selby need just the final three colours to claim an enthralling fifth frame, following an astonishing exchange of snookers on the yellow.

But a miss on the blue let Fu in, and the Hong Kong star clawed his way back into the match - not least with an 89 in the seventh frame, the highest break of the match.

Selby finished on a high with a 69 to ensure a 5-3 lead, but the match is finely poised with both players looking in good form heading into Friday's second session.

Frame scores (Fu first, Selby second): 25-65, 5-76 (56), 0-76 (63), 73-0 (72) 60-37, 9-59, 90-23 (89), 0-73 (69)