Neil Robertson squeezes a red into the yellow pocket, a bit of luck about that but he will take what he can get in this frame. The black follows in the next shot but he misses a tough red and it is over to Shaun Murphy.

Shaun Murphy holds a 37-24 advantage and it has been like that for a while in this frame. No-one wants to take a risk.

Murphy has a long, hard look at the table as he weighs up his options, one minute 55 seconds it takes him before he attempts a long red to the green pocket, misses. Thirteen minutes since a ball was potted.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC TV

"Arguably this frame could win Shaun the Masters. Big moments perhaps."

John Virgo
BBC Sport snooker commentator

Shaun Murphy is getting no dice with that left middle pocket as he watches a red strike the jaw. After some pretty faultless snooker, he has made a couple of errors in this frame.

A few safety exchanges follow with both Murphy and Neil Robertson looking very tentative. They know this is a big frame.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC TV

"It is imperative for Neil to win this session 3-1. Until you get that fifth frame for a lead at the interval, you always have it at the back of your mind that you might end up being 4-4."

Error-strewn frame at the moment as Shaun Murphy misses a long red to the bottom right pocket before Neil Robertson does likewise on the opposite side. Cagey.

Four frames down and Neil Robertson's highest break stands at just 30. A big improvement is needed when he visits the table, and he is back up when Shaun Murphy misses left middle. What can he do now?

Neil Robertson needs an early opportunity to get back into this and he gets it, but he can only manage a break of 15 as he tries to power the black into the bottom right, too much on it and Shaun Murphy has his chance to stamp his authority on frame five.

The players are back out and Shaun Murphy to break. Four frames to come before the end of the first session.

John Parrott
Former world champion on BBC TV

"It is a bit of self preservation for Neil Robertson in this mini session. If he can get 5-3 behind that will be a big result for him."

1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2. That's how things stood after four frames of the 2012 Masters final between these two. Close, but Neil Robertson flew out of the blocks in the second session on that occasion and dominated Shaun Murphy to take victory.

Surely plenty more twists and turns to come in this one? It is shaping up to be an absolute classic.

Shaun Murphy says he almost quit snooker 12 months ago. A sit down, a serious think about his career and he chose to instead focus on getting himself where he wants to be.

The 'triple crown' has been his target for a while now, and he is looking good at the moment to finally achieve it. He'll be itching to get back out there.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC TV

"Shaun Murphy is is playing better than he has ever played. The last time he played with so much enjoyment is when he won the world title in 2005. If he plays like this in April/May, there is no-one who can touch him for his second world title.

"Murphy is taking on shots with so much danger, he does not care. That is the best way to go for pots."

DQM: Shaun Murphy putting the World Number One to the sword here!!!!

Golden Cue Snooker: Can't believe what's happening to Robertson, credit to @Magician147 playing unbelievably well !

Callum Rowe: That is definitely not the result I expected come the mid session interval. Neil needs to get on the practice table

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John Parrott
Former world champion on BBC TV

"Neil Robertson's safety play hasn't been the best but he is also playing against someone who is supremely confident. If I was Robertson, I would take 6-2 because he is being comprehensively outplayed."

So Sean Murphy leads 4-0 at the mid-session interval. Where is the Neil Robertson who so confidently despatched of Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final? He needs to make an appearance soon.

A missed red means Shaun Murphy's visit ends with a break of 76. The crowd expects Neil Robertson concedes but he returns to the table. He needs five snookers. It is too big an ask and he concedes.

Shaun Murphy pots the black into the bottom left and the reds are well placed for some heavy scoring now. The stats don't make good reading for Neil Robertson - 96% pot success rate for Murphy, 76% for Robertson. Not good enough.

Dennis Taylor
BBC Sport snooker commentator

"Neil Robertson is under real pressure at the moment and that is down to Shaun Murphy's play. A little shake of the head from the Aussie, you don't see that too often."