Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

What a welcome those players got. Ronnie needs a fast start tonight. Three of the first four would be a good start. 

The players are back out and we are ready to go. Will this be as close as Ronnie O'Sullivan gets to the trophy today, or will he be lifting it in delight after a superb fightback?

An interesting tweet from world number 10 Mark Allen, highlighting Selby's mental strength as one of the reasons for the score being what it is.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at the York Barbican

Spotted the 1991 champion John Parrott back stage during the interval and he was positively beaming.

Not because of the snooker, but after the club he supports, Everton, clinched a late point against Manchester United.

And check out the blue tie when he is on punditry duty in the studio.

BBC Two

We will be back live on BBC Two very shortly and you will be able to watch all the action tonight by pressing the play button at the top of this page.

It could still be a very, very late for snooker fans. You just never know what will happen.

Lewis Hobson: The consensus around the Barbican is that @ronnieo147, external can still do it! Let's hope so

Lisa: Come on Ronnie! You can do it :-)

 David B: Come on Ronnie turn it around  

Can Ronnie O'Sullivan pull off a great comeback and steal the UK Championship or is it Mark Selby's for the taking? Any fans of Mark Selby around? Anywhere? Tweet us at #bbcsnooker

Feeling refreshed? Ready to go again?

Good.

So where were we?

Mark Selby holds a 6-2 lead over Ronnie O'Sullivan after the first session of the UK Championship final.

It is the first to 10 so Selby only needs four more, while O'Sullivan has to take eight out of a maximum 11 frames tonight.

Selby has a strong advantage, but there is still a lot of life left in this game.

Let's get on with it.

That ends the opening session finished so have a look at Shamoon Hafez's report as Mark Selby holds a large lead.

Selby needs four more frames for glory and we will back just before 19:00 GMT for the final session.

Get some rest, get some food, and we will see you later on.

Jonathan McNabb: Big ask for Ronnie to win the UK Championship now. Selby is such a gritty performer. I'd hate playing against him.

Des:#Selby, external, as always is some machine. Hope #RonnieOSullivan, external can make a game of it in second session tonight.

Ryan: Not how I wanted the first session to go :( 

Brendan:  Ronnie played ONE good frame (frame one) then limped through the 2nd. Not good enough by his standards.  

Will Selby run away with the UK Championship title tonight or will Ronnie O'Sullivan make a sensational comeback? Tweet us your thoughts using #bbcsnooker

Ronnie O'Sullivan is provisionally 12th in the world rankings, largely because of his refusal to play in most of the events, but a victory in this final would take him back up to eighth.

Mark Selby started off the event top of the world rankings, and will stay there win or lose today.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

The problem Ronnie has is there is a level of relentlessness that Mark Selby stamps on a game of snooker and that will make the climb back even harder. 

You have to have the stomach for it. Ronnie has to re-group and relish this fight he has on him. 

If he somehow relishes this challenge of being a true underdog, now he is one, then he can play his own game and play with the freedom he hasn't had so far. If he throws the towel in, it will be business as usual for Mark Selby tonight. 

Watch the key moments from the eighth frame, the final one of the opening session, as Selby tightened his stranglehold on his match.

A few clips for you to enjoy before we take a break.

Check out Mark Selby showing his billiards skill to eventually pot the red over the corner pocket.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

So why does Mark Selby have such a big lead?

I think the reason is because Ronnie has played a sub-par session. Probably the worst session he has played all tournament. 

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It has been a tremendous performance from the world number one. 

You've witnessed the art of match-play snooker from him this afternoon. It's not about getting 100 every single frame, it's about winning them with what's in front of you. 

Tactically he is on top. He has no control over what Ronnie does but when he's missed, he has capitalised. 

Selby has been phenomenal. Everything about him including his temperament, he's a top match player. He's very underestimated in this game.  

What a way to end the session. The eighth frame sees Selby record a break of 87, his highest break of the match and he leads 6-2.

He can reflect on a job well done so far, while Ronnie O'Sullivan has it all to do later tonight.

Let's cast your mind back to what seems a lifetime ago. O'Sullivan started so well with a break of 124 in the opening frame, and had a chance to go 3-1 ahead, but failed to convert it.

Mark Selby took that fourth frame to make it 2-2 and he has stormed clear ever since, by winning five frames in a row.

"This is some performance from Mark Selby," says BBC commentator Dennis Taylor as Selby sinks this stunning pot on a red to re-establish control in the eighth frame.

He is closing in on five frames in a row and a commanding four-frame session lead.

Dan Bell: Mark Selby is the West Brom of the snooker world. Ugly to watch but effective.

Thomas: Selby is a brilliant matchplay snooker player. He is doing anything and everything it takes to win the match.

GaryonCue: It's impossible to love the game of snooker and not appreciate what a phenomenal player Selby is.