Mark Allen has established a 5-3 lead over Mark Selby after the first session of their World Championship semi-final.
Selby, a four-time champion, has grown into the tournament and appeared at his efficient best as he took the opener with a 123 break.
Breaks of 63 and 66 did not prevent Allen falling 3-2 behind, but the Northern Irishman was able to reel off the final three frames to seize the early initiative.
Although he was devoid of a century, Allen made further breaks of 64, 60 and 78 respectively to prevent Selby from gaining a stranglehold of the contest.
"It's made for the Crucible Theatre - the drama!" ðŸŽ
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) April 27, 2023
A thrilling ending to an entertaining session of snooker between Luca Brecel and Si Jiahui 🔥#CazooWorldChampionship | @CazooUK pic.twitter.com/Q0HLtYoLdY
Earlier in the day, Si Jiahui produced some ruthless snooker to open up a 5-3 advantage over Luca Brecel, who won seven straight frames to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan on Thursday.
In sharp contrast, the Belgian watched debutant Si reel off four successive frames to move 4-1 ahead, making breaks of 125, 102 and 97 in the process.
The Chinese youngster would have moved 5-1 in front had he not missed a simple black when 53-1 ahead in the sixth, Brecel responding with a 72 clearance.
While Brecel took the seventh to capitalise on his let-off, Si responded in the final frame of the session, taking it on the black to open up a narrow advantage.
Darren Plant
