Welcome back to TNT Sports’ live updates from the 2025 Tour Championship semi-final between Mark Selby and Ding Junhui. The two former Masters winners meet in a best-of-19 frame semi-final before a sell-out crowd at Manchester Central as the chase for the £150,000 first prize heats up. John Higgins booked his spot in Sunday’s final with a superb 10-7 victory over Barry Hawkins on Friday.
Dale compares Selby to Djokovic – ‘Hardest players to beat’
LATEST: SELBY 6-2 DING
Mark Selby is on course for a Tour Championship final showdown with fellow four-time world champion John Higgins after building a 6-2 lead against Ding Junhui in the second semi-final.
Selby raced 3-1 clear with breaks of 83, 71 and 103 achieved in only 49 minutes on Saturday with Ding’s 77 in the third frame keeping him in touch.
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The second half of the afternoon session was much more cagey, but another 58 in the fifth frame saw Selby ease 4-1 ahead before dominating the sixth and eighth frames to open up a merited four-frame lead.
It could have been worse for former Masters and UK holder Ding, who managed to eke out the seventh frame from 49-0 behind on the pink to claim his second frame of the match.
“I feel like I’ve not put a foot wrong,” said Selby on ITV. “If you had gave me 6-2, I’ve had took that.
“I practise a lot, and I’m trying to play like how I do in practice.”
They play to a finish from 7pm on Saturday night with the first player to 10 reaching the final on Sunday.
Higgins booked his spot in the final of the season’s penultimate ranking event with a dominant 10-7 win over Barry Hawkins on Friday.
SELBY 5-2 DING (88-4)
Selby with a content look to end the session. He leads 6-2.
SELBY 5-2 DING (73-0)
Job done then for Selby, who will carry a 6-2 lead into the evening session in race to 10.
SELBY 5-2 DING (57-0)
Connects next time, but leaves red over top left hand corner. Selby with chance then to see out this frame for a 6-2 lead.
SELBY 5-2 DING (41-0)
Selby then with a lead of 36 points in what has become quite a scrap. Another long red is drilled home, but no colour to be found. Green and brown joined on a side cushion as another insurance policy. Ding fails to hit a red thin as the Selby lead heads over 40 points.
SELBY 5-2 DING (35-0)
But he loses the white in slotting red. Overruns for black. That is remarkable. Just the roll up behind the black.
SELBY 5-2 DING (34-0)
But an excellent recovery pot on a red to green pocket. Ideally on black too and can continue the break here. Reds suddenly opened up to build a solid lead here.
SELBY 5-2 DING (18-0)
Half decent effort to slot black and open up reds. One comes out over right middle which he knocks in. Made to look easy. But loses position on pink to next red. A bit frustrating.
SELBY 5-2 DING (4-0)
Selby gets first go at the balls then as he sinks a long red. Nicely down table from yellow to the loose red above black.
SELBY 5-2 DING (0-0)
Selby breaks off for the final frame of the first session.
SELBY 5-1 DING (49-64)
Ding with a fluke on the yellow to a middle bag before rolling in green along top cushion. Pops in brown and blue before pink is drained to the yellow bag. A big steal for Ding, who trailed 49-0 in that frame. Is that a turning point? Back to 5-2 behind. One more frame to come of the afternoon session.
SELBY 5-1 DING (49-44)
Coming down to the final two reds in this frame. Ding looking to release one of two reds from side rail. Which he does. Excellent cannon. And another excellent positional shot from blue to final red. Battling hard. But snookers himself behind blue off black. Escapes from snooker, and gets a result. Nothing for Selby to go at.
SELBY 5-1 DING (49-9)
Super plant on reds to right middle by Ding, but he ends up snookering himself behind the black. That is frustrating.
SELBY 5-1 DING (49-0)
More trouble on the cards for Ding in this frame. Sticks up another red for Selby to get started. Not the big one-visit hit on the go, but Mark happy enough to get the frame won anyway which suits. Enough reds in open to get this frame won for a 6-1 lead you would imagine. But out of position in potting black as white rattles in green pocket. Another sound safety to follow.
SELBY 5-1 DING (17-0)
Ding looking a bit dejected as he leaves a red over top pocket. Selby drops in a fiendishly difficult black off side cushion. But not nicely on the next red. Looked at using the extended swan neck, but decided against it. And plays a nice safety as the percentage shot.
SELBY 5-1 DING (9-0)
Fine escape from Ding coming off four cushions is followed by Selby slotting red to yellow bag. Not on pink so just safety to follow.
SELBY 5-1 DING (2-0)
Selby leaving Ding tied up behind balls at moment. Stuck behind green this time. Far from easy to get this safe.
SELBY 5-1 DING (1-0)
Ding with an early sighter at a red using the rest. Doesn’t drop, but no real damage done. Selby with a fluked double on a red down length of the table. Rolls up behind yellow.
SELBY 5-1 DING (0-0)
Selby halfway up the hill towards the winning mark of 10. Ding breaks off for frame seven, the penultimate frame of the afternoon session in Manchester.
SELBY 4-1 DING (64-1)
Selby with a decent 35 to the final three reds. Which leaves Ding in his seat. Hopefully is comfortable enough having spent too much time in it. A big two frames coming up Ding’s future health in this semi-final.
SELBY 4-1 DING (54-1)
Selby not far away from the winning post in this frame on Grand National Saturday. Ding has been largely frozen out of this contest since the third frame.
SELBY 4-1 DING (36-1)
Ding still involved in this match, but looks like he is going to require a revival this evening with Selby being offered plenty of opportunities to move 5-1 clear. Black now in the clear so every chance of a four-frame advantage.
SELBY 4-1 DING (28-1)
Sizing up a plant on reds after dropping in his latest pink. Black still surrounded by reds. Was far from easy as plant sticks in jaws. Was far from easy. But Ding can’t get white back out from potting red. Faced with a safety shot.
SELBY 4-1 DING (15-0)
Selby on the move again early in the sixth frame then as Ding leaves him a look at a red. Far from easy, but has chance to do some productive work with the pink.
SELBY 4-1 DING (0-0)
Reds cramping space around the black so could be a bit scrappier this frame. Pink still freed up. So plenty of scope to score a few for whoever gets first chance.
SELBY 4-1 DING (0-0)
Three more frames to go in this first session on Grand National Saturday, and Selby looks like he is already kicking for home.
SELBY 3-1 DING (72-24)
Selby goes all out for a red down a side rail, and in it goes. What a superb pot. Back up for the blue, and in goes blue to leave Ding needing a snooker or two. Ding not interested in playing for snookers. A 4-1 lead for the world No. 3.
SELBY 3-1 DING (66-24)
Ding faced with the not insignificant issue of two reds being safe, and he misses an easy one with four reds left up.
SELBY 3-1 DING (58-8)
Ding left with a red to the yellow bag which he drains. First pot in 27 minutes. And a very fine piece of cueing. Now then. Probably feared frame was done and dusted, but can he get back into the running.
SELBY 3-1 DING (58-0)
Into pack off black, but for once the reds don’t open out as planned. End of break on 58. Looks like a safety shot to follow. And he knocks a red safe before declaring on 58.
SELBY 3-1 DING (51-0)
Not ridiculous to assume Ding won’t be coming back to the table in this fifth frame. First in, best dressed. Or something like that. Not really a match made for counter punching so far. Table seems to be playing better than yesterday.
SELBY 3-1 DING (27-0)
Selby will be looking to do the heavy lifting in this semi-final by carrying a decent lead into the second session. Building a healthy lead in this frame as we speak.
SELBY 3-1 DING (11-0)
Another long red is put away by Selby early in the fifth frame. Which has been the story of this semi-final so far. Another sublime pot on brown to take white off two cushions and back down for the next red.
SELBY 2-1 DING (103-0)
Double on the final red doesn’t drop, but Selby weighs in with a 103 break this time for a 3-1 lead. 49 minutes for four frames sums up the blistering nature of this semi-final. Ding has to find a response. Good luck with that assignment.
SELBY 2-1 DING (83-0)
Every chance of a century coming up from Selby…
SELBY 2-1 DING (69-0)
Not really a day for going deep in the trenches. Scoring very much the name of the game on this table. In goes the red Selby needs to leave Ding needing a snooker. He won’t be coming back to the table in this frame. 47 minutes gone, and four frames down in the blink of an eye.
SELBY 2-1 DING (55-0)
Another very fine shot from Selby to clip open a few more reds from the black. In goes red above pink spot, and back up for the blue. Looks like this could be a 3-1 lead for the Leicester man. Hotting up outside today and definitely inside the Manchester Central arena.
SELBY 2-1 DING (16-0)
Another supreme long red by Selby to can object ball and stun over for the black. Doesn’t get much better than that on a snooker table. Chance to go to work again around the black spot.
SELBY 2-1 DING (0-0)
Selby breaks off for the fourth frame of this semi-final. And that is an excellent break-off shot from Mark with Ding welded to the baulk cushion. Ding finds a sort of containing safety in response as a red heads down to the baulk end.
SELBY 2-0 DING (0-77)
A case of anything you can do, I can do better…Or just as well. 71 and 83 from Mark, 77 from Ding. A red somehow doesn’t drop to right centre, but 77 is a lovely response from the Chinese player. Selby punished for missing a long red of his own. Kill or be killed is the theme of this match so far. One more frame to come before the mid-sesh. Galloping along in this first session. Not sure safety has been thought about so far.
SELBY 2-0 DING (0-35)
This table looks like it is ripe for scoring. Running fast and true, and Ding is making the running in this third frame of a possible 19. Neither player hanging about out there.
SELBY 2-0 DING (0-3)
26 minutes, 30 seconds and it is a 2-0 advantage to Selby. Ding breaks off for the third frame in this semi-final joust. Selby well off potting angle with a long red for once, and he has stuck up Ding for an easy opener. Manchester crowd giving Ding plenty of encouragament.
SELBY 1-0 DING (71-0)
A 71 to go with the 83 and that is a 2-0 lead for the four-time world champion.
SELBY 1-0 DING (65-0)
Ding hasn’t done much wrong so far today. Just has to digest the Selby gun show at the moment. Showing off plenty of muscle in the scoring stakes out there. Break reaches 65 with a mid-range red. The second frame in the bag for Mark.
SELBY 1-0 DING (53-0)
Important not to get ahead of yourself in this mood, but pockets are like barrels at the moment. All parts of the Selby game are working in unison. Ding opened the reds for these balls to be put away by the Leicester. Dangerous game when your opponent is in this sort of mode
SELBY 1-0 DING (37-0)
Another fabulous pot on a red using rest to bring white back up table for the blue. Perfect position. Seeing and thinking so clearly out there. Ding must already be fearing the worst here. Selby clearly oozing confidence.
SELBY 1-0 DING (5-0)
Selby is 14-13 ahead of Ding in the career head-to-heads. And he is looking to make a fast start to the second frame as a long red is drained without a second glance.
SELBY 1-0 DING (0-0)
Balls rolling for the second frame after that lovely start to the day by Selby. Ding has a poke at a long red. But nothing doing. And no harm done as white flies back to baulk cush.
SELBY 0-0 DING (83-4)
Tough red stays out with the rest, but that 83 looks like it could be a sign of things to come. What a delightful break from ‘The Jester’. Ding had the best seat in the house for that knock. Not that he would thank you for it.
SELBY 0-0 DING (68-4)
And there we have it. Selby is one ahead in no time at all. Can he open with a century here? Won’t be for lack of trying.
SELBY 0-0 DING (48-4)
If Higgins was good last night, this is every bit as impressive from Selby. Immediately up to speed with the table in this semi-final and looks like he could be set to put away this frame in the one hit. Relaxed among the balls and getting on with the business at
hand.
SELBY 0-0 DING (14-4)
Lovely long red by Selby. That was majestic connection between white and object ball. Screws the white back up the table for the blue. Looking to make an early statement here. Selby chasing a 25th ranking title this week.
SELBY 0-0 DING (0-4)
Ding breaks off the first frame of eight to be played this afternoon in Manchester. Corking long red by Selby straight off the bat, but white ends up following the red down a top bag. Straight cueing is in good nick then.
SELBY V DING: A REMATCH OF THE 2016 WORLD FINAL
HIGGINS IN FRAME TO CREATE MORE CRUCIBLE HISTORY
Barry Hawins described John Higgins as an “all-time great” who was “almost unstoppable” during his 10-7 defeat to the four-time world champion in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship on Friday. Higgins will chase a second ranking title in successive months when he faces Mark Selby or Ding Junhui in Sunday’s final, but will perhaps also have one eye on creating fresh history at the Crucible.
