You reckon, Ken?

Shaun sure does. A stunning long red gets him in first in the next frame too.

He tries to break open the pack off the brown but sticks on the reds.

Even then, Murphy riles up the crowd with a spreading hand gesture, trying to instruct the reds to disperse. Good fun.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

That is exactly what he needed. It’s incredible that he hasn’t made a century in the final until now.

That will restore a little bit of confidence. We asked for a bit of magic and he’s delivered. The Crucible crowd love a century. The atmosphere is electric.

100 for Murphypublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 3 May 2021

15:46 BST 3 May 2021

Frame 23: Selby 13-10 Murphy

Exactly 100 for Shaun Murphy as he pulls back within three frames.

He misses the yellow but that was a fantastic break under pressure.

This is more like it from Shaun Murphy in frame 23.

A Selby miss let him in and he's compiled a quickfire half-century.

Could be the quickest frame of the match, this.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

Shaun Murphy's got to be aggressive, it’s the only way he’s going to win.

Because if the frames keep going the way they are, he’s going to lose. So does he want to go out attacking or does he want to go out playing containing safeties?

Mark Selby is in the comfort zone right now. This final is drifting away from Shaun.

Mark doesn’t look under any pressure and it’s a great position to be in – your opponent is taking on shots he doesn’t want to take on and you’re just mopping up the frames.

Judd Trump
World number one on BBC Two

Shaun is really battling out there but it’s just not quite happening. Every time he pulls a frame back, Mark Selby comes back with two frames.

He doesn’t really know what to do, whether to attack or defend and in the end he just got a little bit mixed up in that last frame.

Only five players in history have four or more world titles to their name in the modern era - and Mark Selby will be hoping to increase that elite list to six come Monday evening.

It would be his fourth title in eight years after triumphs in 2014, 2016 and 2017 - not quite the levels of domination Ray Reardon, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry achieved in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s respectively but not far off.

Much is made of Ronnie O'Sullivan's chances of equalling Hendry's record tally of seven world titles but Selby is eight years younger than the Rocket.

Surely he has to be in that conversation should he lift a fourth title and draw level with John Higgins on the list?

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Selby completes the formalities with a 50 break and he looks like a man who is going to take some stopping right now.

Shaun Murphy, though, virtually handed him that frame with a couple of misses and ill-judged shots.

But he's going to do exactly that.

An attempt on a long red is way off and hands Mark Selby an easy starter.

Mark Selby contributes a 54 before running out of position with five reds remaining.

An important safety exchange now.

Shaun Murphy cannot afford to fall four frames behind at this stage of the contest.

But the Jester pounces on a Shaun Murphy miss to punch in a middle-distance red and now he's in perfect position in and around the black spot.

Very ominous signs for Murphy. If Mark Selby begins to score consistently heavily to add to his solid safety play, that's trouble for the Magician.

Both players have missed a couple of early chances here in this first frame after the mid-session interval.

The break probably came at the wrong time for Mark Selby after that century - the first of the final - in the previous frame.

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Selby has only had to play 79 frames (only!) to reach his fifth world final while Shaun Murphy has been through 90 to progress to his fourth Crucible showpiece.

That's the equivalent of a session and a half extra for Murphy - is the Jester fresher or has the Magician got something left in the tank to respond?

Image source, BBC Sport

Just in case you missed it yesterday, here's a reminder of how both players reached the final...

Speaking of goosebumps, the boys are back out on the baize, as the saying goes, to more vociferous volume from the spectators.

Oof, and what a way to start as Shaun Murphy - * ponders which adjective to use * - clobbers his latest long red in.

Emma Waldron, 40, who is from Sheffield and attending with husband Jordan, 41, told BBC Sport: “I am glad to be back and hopefully it means that things can start to open up and get more back to normal.

"I went online and saw I could get final tickets which is practically unheard of so we got them because we’ll probably be never able to get them again.

“I’m fine with sitting next to someone. It’s a personal choice. If you don’t want to come don’t but those that do should be able to. We have to try and move on. People have not really had a life, it’s just been an existence.

“It was goosebumps time when the players walked out. It’s just so nice to have life back and some normality."

Jordan on what it means for sport: “It’s everything. Sport is nothing without the fans. We all know what has happened but it’d be nice to get fans back everywhere as soon as possible.”

Image source, Getty Images

Christian Fielding, 45, from Burnley told BBC Sport: “We came yesterday to watch the [first sessions of the] final and we came last year as well under Covid restrictions.

“It’s very simple [getting in], you just get your test done and turn up like you would normally.

“We come every year and came for the final last year. The tickets have been easier to come by but obviously by next year I expect it to be back to normal and we will be back to buying them a year in advance.

“The atmosphere is great. It’s what was missing last year when it was a bit flat. Everyone has had a test and had to evidence that so everyone in theory has done what they can do. The world has to go back to normal. We can’t live in a world of fear when everything is according to the government information going in the right direction.”

I'm sure the majority of fans wouldn't be bothered how a player breaks off, though - they're just happy to be back watching the snooker as our man at the Crucible, Steve Sutcliffe, has been finding out...

A lot of chat during the interval about Mark Williams' controversial break-off shot that we've seen plenty of this tournament.

It's an interesting one. Not sure about it myself.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

He had a good session Shaun but made no inroads. It's tough at the top.

Once again he has to come out and try to be optimistic and go for his shots. He needs to mentally relax and then it is another push.