Image source, PA

And we're back in the game. Selby is 57-1 down but at the table. This will be a great steal if he can win this one.

We have gone 20 minutes since anyone has potted a ball. The cueball is on the top cushion so it may be a while longer.

These are testing times for Mark Selby. If he is not careful Ronnie O'Sullivan is soon going to run away with this.

He is on the verge of making it 7-3 after a break of 52 helps give him a 57-point lead. O'Sullivan then puts Selby in a pickle with a tricky-looking snooker.

The ninth frame of the match was the third longest in the match so far, lasting 26 minutes and 46 seconds.

The longest frame in a Crucible final came in 2006 between Graeme Dott and Peter Ebdon, which lasted 74 minutes and eight seconds, with the first red not being potted until the 17th minute of the frame.

But the longest frame in history at the Crucible is 75 minutes in a second-round game between Stephen Maguire and Mark King in 2009.

Image source, Getty Images

Ronnie O'Sullivan is making his 22nd appearance at the Crucible. Did you know only six players have matched that number of appearances - Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, John Parrott and Peter Ebdon?

This game is O'Sullivan's 74th match at the Crucible and he is only behind Stephen Hendry (90), Steve Davis (84) and Jimmy White (75) in total matches played.

George:, external Both players deserve the title. I'm just hoping for a quality match between two of the best in the business.

Jason Hall:, external Mark Selby is going to regret not punishing O'Sullivan's mistakes.

Imran Patel:, external I don't understand why Selby is taking huge risks. Damage control is a must.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC TV

"There was a couple of times in that frame where Ronnie had options and did not even look at some of the reds."

John Parrott
Former world champion on BBC TV

"I had a niggling doubt that Mark has not been scoring heavily enough throughout the tournament. Forties, 50s and 60s don't win you frames."

No sizeable breaks in the ninth frame, but O'Sullivan will not care. The defending champion led 3-0, before Selby pulled it back to 4-3.

But O'Sullivan takes the ninth frame to once again hold a three-frame advantage. He leads 6-3.

Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-3 Mark Selby (99-24)

It has been a messy start to the evening session with both players missing a number of shots.

O'Sullivan holds a 43-point lead but loses position moving for the frame-winning ball. This frame is not over just yet.

Image source, George Riley

Bearded actor Matthew Lewis took a cheeky selfie at the Crucible before the evening session started, and was snapped by BBC Radio 5 live's George Riley.

Leeds-born actor Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, said on Twitter: , external"Made it to the Crucible. Big fan of Selby but it's all about @ronnieo147. Come on lad."

With hampered cueing over two reds, O'Sullivan fails in an attempt to pot the black ball and Selby springs up out of his seat.

Neither player has played well at the start of this frame, which O'Sullivan leads 27-0.

Mark Selby watches in horror as the cueball vanishes into the pocket. There is a long red on for O'Sullivan, which he downs. Could this lead to a 6-3 advantage?

Spectators at the World Snooker Championship have a range of goods to choose from. Ronnie O'Sullivan fans can buy polo shirts for £25, t-shirts for £15 and a mug for £10, while for those who require some mathematical assistance, a World Snooker calculator is available for just £2.50.

There you go. Forgot your wife's birthday? Maybe a World Snooker calculator will get you out of trouble. Maybe not.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was ranked 33rd going into this final because of his refusal to play in all of the events in the season, but he wouldn't be the lowest ranked player to win a World Championship.

Both Terry Griffiths (unranked) in 1979 and Shaun Murphy (2005) qualified to win the event. O'Sullivan was ranked 28th when he won last year.

Ronnie O'Sullivan will move to six world title wins if he beats Mark Selby. Stephen Hendry, the only man to have won the title seven times at the Crucible, explains how O'Sullivan intimidates his opponents.

"It is a great feeling when you know the other player can't beat you," says Hendry. "If you feel like you are intimidating players it is worth three, four, five frames a start.

"We saw that in the Masters final when he completely blew Mark away. Selby didn't look comfortable from the word go. I think Ronnie has that edge over the rest of the players now."

Two early fouls from Mark Selby give Ronnie O'Sullivan a free ball to start the second session. But he is soon back in his seat after overhitting a long pot.

Image source, Getty Images

The players are back out, the Crucible is packed and we are ready to go.

A reminder that Ronnie comes out to A Man with Determination by George Lam and Mark to Fast Fuse by Kasabian.

But how about a few more unusual tracks others chose? Mark Allen walked on to Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet while Dominic Dale's ditty was I'm The Urban Spaceman by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.

Aah, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Anyone? Nope. Me neither.

Earlier today we asked for your questions to six-time world champion Steve Davis.

Here is another of the answers.

Mark asked: "How old were you when you hit your first century break?"

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Davis: "I was about the age of 17, so by today's standards relatively late. I achieved it in the Plumstead Common Working Men's club. It was 102 and I potted the last red and knocked the yellow in so it could have been potentially more."