Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Historically you play for the far jaw and even on these thin cloths you expect a little bit of turn to the left and it went the other way. Shaun would have thought that he hit that well but he did not get the reward.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion on BBC Two

There was a point half-way through its journey the black was in. A finger mark could have deviated it. Nobody in this room believed Shaun Murphy could get a snooker out of Mark Selby.

That frame was what the Crucible is all about. Such drama, it turned this way and that.

The packed crowd absolutely lapped it up.

Can Shaun Murphy recover from that, though? A massive psychological blow, surely.

He can!

Paper thin but Mark Selby manages it!

What an important frame. Shaun Murphy will be pig-sick he lost that one.

Instead, he plays a safety again but gets a dreaded double kiss!

Shaun Murphy pots the pink but a difficult black hits the knuckle of the middle pocket!

Can Selby cut it in?

Mother of God. That one didn't fluke but Murphy's next one did.

He played a pretty poor safety on the blue, hitting it far too hard and it seemed like he would leave it over the middle pocket - but it dropped in!

What a fluke.

It was a tough pink to follow so Murphy plays safe but then tries a dangerous double after a Selby safety. A long tempter now for Mark...

Shaun Murphy absolutely blasts a long blue into the jaws of the pocket and I'm sure he shouted 'get in' in the hope of it fluking!

It doesn't - but at least it lands safe.

Ooh, but Shaun Murphy gets the snooker! A lovely shot off two cushions in behind the black, with the blue a long way away.

And Mark Selby misses it! Drama. Can Murphy pinch this one?

Image source, Getty Images

Both players' adrenaline must still be racing after the rapturous ovation they received from the sell-out Crucible crowd at the start of the session.

What a moment that was.

Back on the table, and Shaun Murphy needs a snooker with just blue, pink and black remaining. Mark Selby looks set to go three frames ahead again.

Mark Selby has needed two bites at the cherry in this frame but, given another chance by a poor Shaun Murphy safety, he plays a lovely little black with the rest to go favourite to pinch it.

I usually think there is a slight advantage in the final to the player who finished their semi-final earlier, particularly for the first session.

But neither player really had that advantage this year because Mark Selby's semi-final with Stuart Bingham overran on Saturday afternoon.

They had to return after Shaun Murphy completed his win over Kyren Wilson in the evening, meaning both finalists finished within an hour of each other.

Shaun Murphy is trying to land some jabs of his own at the moment but a missable red proves his undoing and his break ends on 42.

Mark Selby is in among the balls with a chance to steal.

Matt James, 29, who drove up to Sheffield from London, told BBC Sport: “It’s my first time coming up to the Crucible and I am excited because I have been watching it every day on television.

“It has all built up to today. To hear the audience back is really good and it’s nice to have an event that is going back to some sort of normality.

“I’ve had both vaccinations so I have no concerns. It’s brilliant.”

Lou Reid, 26, who has travelled down from Glasgow on the train with his father Robert, told BBC Sport: “I think it is great. It is a privilege to be here.

"I was worried [Covid-19] restrictions in Scotland were not going to be lifted in time. It’s our first time coming here so what better time than the final.

“We planned to come on a whim when they announced they were releasing tickets. It’s good to be a part of it.”

Image source, WST/Benjamin Mole

Speaking of the crowd, our man at the Crucible, Steve Sutcliffe has been chatting with some of the lucky souls in attendance today...

A big roar of approval from the crowd after that frame and an even bigger one as Shaun Murphy crunches in a long red at the beginning of frame 19.

A couple of shots later, he pots a tough red along the cushion.

He's taking on his shots today. And he needs to. He knows what Mark Selby can do.

Sadly not, as an exhibition long pink fails to break free one of the final two tricky reds.

But Shaun Murphy will care little about that - a break of 77 wins him the opening frame of the day and gives Mark Selby plenty to chew on.

The 2005 champion has done exactly that, he's on 70 and counting and will reduce his deficit to two frames.

Three reds left, any chance of a first century of the final?

Judd Trump
World number one on BBC Two

This is the type of chance Shaun has been scoring so heavily from all tournament. If he is going to get back into this match he is going to have to make as many one-visit wins as possible.

I also think the atmosphere in here today will certainly hlpe him. The crowd are really up for this – with some of his reactions he has really been trying to get the crowd on his this tournament and it’s really helped him

Mark has looked a bit flustered early on – he’s had a couple of half chances and hasn’t managed to take them and Shaun will know that and try to feed off that by making a good break in this opening frame.

Murphy's patience pays off as a rare stray Selby safety leaves him a red to the middle.

But it's tough with the white in the jaws of the corner pocket - he pots it but goes in off with the cue ball.

Selby, though, misses a long red and leaves Murphy in - now THIS is a real chance for the Magician.