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Dott denies brave Selby to reach third Crucible final

Graeme Dott makes use of the rest © Getty Images

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Graeme Dott held off a brave fightback by Mark Selby to seal a place in the final of the Snooker World Championship for the third time with a 17-14 victory at the Crucible.

He will meet Australia's Neil Robertson in the final after the Australian completed a dominant semi-final display to beat Allister Carter 17-11 and become the first man from outside the British Isles to reach the world final since Cliff Thorburn in 1983.

With a four-frame advantage heading into the final session, Dott was three frames from victory but Selby burst out of the blocks, winning the opening three encounters with breaks of 79 and 83 to diminish Dott's advantage to a single frame.

The 2006 champion finally got on the scoreboard to re-establish a two-frame lead going into the interval, but missed a simple red to allow Selby back to the table and take a 99-6 win to stay in contention after the break. Dott move within a frame of victory after a nail-biting exchange in the 30th frame which lasted 45 minutes and then held his nerve to wrap up a the victory.

Earlier in the day, Dott won the final three frames of the session to take a 14-10 lead into the final session.

Selby came out of the blocks like a sprinter and threatened to overhaul Dott at one stage, but the 2006 champion kept his nerve to maintain the four-frame lead he held at the start of the day. The players will return to conclude their match on Saturday evening, when Dott will require three more frames for a place in the final.

Selby needed to make an early marker and he did just that, as a half-century break enabled him to take the opener and he took the next but really should not have done. Dott knocked in a 60 but missed frame ball: a red into middle. Selby came to the table 65 points down with 67 on and compiled a stunning clearance to take the frame and it brought a yell of delight from "The Jester from Leicester."

Dott looked stunned by Selby's excellent clearance in the 18th, but it did not knock his confidence as he won a safety battle and duly knocked in an excellent 57 to stem the tide. However, he produced some ragged play in the next and this allowed Selby to cut the gap to two heading into the interval and he rolled in a 60 upon the resumption to move within one.

Selby had chances to level things up at 12-12, but he made a couple of sloppy mistakes and Dott stepped in and the former world champion pounced on some poor play from Selby in the next to move 13-10 clear.

The standard was not top drawer, which was understandable given the prize at stake, and Selby left a makeable red in the jaws - allowing Dott to step in with a 51. The Scot failed to win the frame at one visit and Selby threatened to force a respotted black but missed a tough pink and Dott stroked it in to put himself firmly in the driving seat.

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