Three balls are left on the table, Selby, looking to screw back from the blue over the bottom corner pocket down to the pink, misjudges it and the blue is over the pocket.

Ding accepts the gift and, after what may have been the toughest three hours of his career, allows himself the smallest of smiles as he sinks the blue to take his first frame of the match.

The fightback is on!

Image source, BBC Sport

Chance one. Wasted.

Chance two. Wasted.

Ding has what would be match-ball but misses the red. Another error follows soon afterwards and his hand is over his eyes, not wanting to watch or believe what he has done as the red is left over the pocket.

Selby stole the second frame on the black. He could do the same in the seventh.

Image source, BBC Sport

But wait. Selby misses a red it bounces from side cushion to side cushion, and stops in the worst place possible - just over the pocket. A lucky break for Ding. Chance two in this frame.

Image source, BBC Sport

John Virgo
1979 UK Championship winner on BBC Two

"That was a golden opportunity but he played a poor positional shot and left himself a tricky red. Good chance, gone."

Oh Ding, what have you done? That should be the frame won. But, after overcooking one shot, he misses a tricky pot.

Winston Shillingford:, external Right come on Ding, you have to take this frame, no better chance than this.

Maybe not. An attempt at a red into the middle pocket from Selby is unsuccessful and now this is Ding's chance. This should be a frame-winning position.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Ding has made 12 centuries in this year's World Championship but at the moment he doesn't look to have the confidence needed for one frame-winning clearance.

Selby's miss with the rest gives the Chinese a chance, but he powers a blue into the jaws of the middle pocket. The blue stays on the cloth and the cue ball rattles into the pack of reds. A double disaster. Are we going to be seeing 7-0 shortly?

This video is obviously not from today, but from Friday during his semi-final win over Alan McManus.

Kleanthis Malialis: Mark Selby's playing style just doesn't allow Ding Junhui to get any momentum at the moment.

Simon G: Cant believe Selby is 6-0 up. Is he trying to end it with a session to spare?

Craig: Selby has been a machine this afternoon. Ding needs a frame and quick.

The Saints have scored two quick goals in succession to give them a 2-0 lead over Manchester City.

Shane Long and Sadio Mane with the goals so far, which are keeping Southampton's hopes of qualifying for the Europa League alive. 

You can follow all the action here. 

Image source, Getty Images

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Any chance we can start again? That is what Ding Junhui must be thinking as he falls 6-0 behind. 

This is turning into a nightmare, not just for Ding but for the watching public in China. It is approaching midnight in Beijing and those staying up will not be enjoying their late night.

A chance for six. There are three reds out in the open and Selby is well placed. It came after a loose safety from Ding.

He has to sit there stone-faced as more torture is handed out. Is there a more unforgiving place in sport than in the chair as your opponent hands you out a trashing in snooker?

Ding's 38 earlier in frame six is then followed by a run of 41 from Selby. He misjudges position for a blue though, but leaves Ding tucked up in a beast of a snooker with the cueball hidden behind a green.

Ding's first attempt at an escape is, to be honest, completely rubbish, going nowhere near any red ball. But he makes his adjustment and hits it at the second attempt.  

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Stay across the BBC Sport Facebook page, external at the end of the session for a live chat with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and the 1997 winner Ken Doherty.

Coach Terry Griffiths will be pleased with the start of the sixth frame as Ding makes a break of 38 - his first points in three frames - but will be less happy with his man losing position and having to play safe.

And let this be the lesson...

Terry Griffiths
1979 world champion and Ding Junhui's coach

Terry Griffiths is the man in charge for getting Ding back into winning form. 

"It is a worrying time for Ding. He's not settled down and Mark Selby has taken advantage. It's typical of professional snooker - one moment you're up, the next your down.

"I've had five minutes with Ding in the interval and yes he's disappointed but I've tried to get him out there in a more positive mind. Sometimes I shout at him and sometimes I coax him round. I've got things I can use to help him, but the player needs to absorb what I'm telling him."

Sorry, Terry, the mild mannered Welshman, shouting? I don't believe it!

This is meant to finish on Monday evening. Not many of you expect it to last that long.

Freejack Fan:, external I'm going to run an early bath for Ding. It's just not happening at all. At this rate, Selby will go 16-0 & have an easy Monday.

Walter Plinge:, external 5-0 to Selby. For such a great tournament to end with a one-sided final would probably be the anti-climax of anti-climaxes...

Elliot J. Cornish:, external 6-2 at worst here for Ding. 7-1 down or worse and he could be on the brink of defeat by the end of the evening... #bbcsnooker, external

Image source, Getty Images

OK, so our graphic curse actually didn't work that well after all. Ding misses a chance and Selby is back at the table.

It is more punishment for Ding as Selby storms through the rest of the frame without fear. A break of 70 means it is 5-0.

That is now breaks of 76, 120 and 70 in the last three frames for Selby. The winning target is 18 frames - that seems a long, long way off for the Chinese.