SNOOKER/World Championship:Mark Selby, the 23-year-old qualifier from Leicester who has already eliminated three members of the top 16 in Stephen Lee, Peter Ebdon and Allister Carter, goes into this morning's penultimate session of his semi-final against the 2005 champion, Shaun Murphy, at eight frames all.

Selby fell 5-1 behind in the opening session of the best-of-33-frames match on Thursday, but won the two remaining frames of the day, and yesterday won four of the first five frames, the last in this sequence with a total clearance of 128. The three remaining frames of the day were hard-fought, but Murphy was twice able to respond to the pressure of being the odd frame behind and both times managed to equalise.

The Scottish rivals John Higgins and Stephen Maguire resumed at 4-4 and with never more than a frame between them progressed to 8-8 at lunch.

Maguire twice went in front but Higgins not only won the next two but was poised to lead 8-6. When Higgins proved unable, though, to exploit Maguire's unlucky in-off in potting the yellow, Maguire cleared to win on the black and with a 62 break led 8-7 before Higgins comprehensively kept him out in the remaining frame of the morning.

The first two frames of the evening session were shared before Maguire powered to a break of 82 in the 19th frame and eked out a win in the next - a tactical marathon of 50-plus minutes - to lead 11-9.

Maguire was on song in the next frame, his clearance of 131 giving him a three-frame cushion. But Higgins replied in kind, an exquisite 134 break narrowing the gap to two. And as the see-saw pattern was maintained, Maguire sealed the next with a break of 41 to lead 13-10.

Chief among the championship's sub-plots is the struggle for top-16 places in next week's end-of-season rankings, which guarantee appearances here and in the Masters at Wembley next season as well as seeding advantages.

Steve Davis has satisfied his last remaining declared ambition, a top-16 ranking at the age of 50, but Stephen Hendry sinks to eighth or ninth. Ronnie O'Sullivan, after nine seasons in the top four, will be fifth.

Mark Allen, the 21-year-old Irish left-hander who eliminated Ken Doherty last week, will be ranked 29th after only two professional seasons.

Jimmy White will be 60th, only four places above relegation from the world-ranking circuit.

The balance of power is passing inexorably into the hands of a new generation.

Guardian Service