Mark Selby and Luca Brecel level after afternoon session of 2022 English Open final with Jester fading from 4-1 lead

Mark Selby is level with Luca Brecel at 4-4 before the evening session of the 2022 English Open final, having watched his robust lead erode in the final frames of the afternoon.

There was still some way for the ‘Jester from Leicester’ to win the tournament as the best-of-17 format required the former world No. 1 to reach nine frames before he won the championship, but his early lead has disappeared.

Selby looked in superb touch in the opening four frames after his first break of 90 was not answered by Brecel.

Two more half-centuries, the first of 57 and then of 74 in the second and third frames respectively, moved Selby three clear and things were looking ominous for his Belgian opponent.

However, Brecel was able to grab what seemed perhaps little more than a consolation with a 96-27 frame win in the fourth.

After the mid-session interval, Selby hit another 50 to re-establish a three-frame lead as he threatened to wrap up an early victory.

At 69-45 ahead, Brecel missed after being on the cusp of winning if he sunk a colour, Selby was allowed back to the table and the pair contested a potentially vital yellow around the table, but Brecel was able to edge it to win his second frame.

In the next frame, Brecel found himself 50-7 up and landed a difficult red to the middle pocket, and was able to pot enough of the remainders to leave Selby unwilling to look for snookers.

In the penultimate frame of the session, Selby made a poor miss on a blue and opened the door for Brecel, who didn’t have to be offered the chance twice and closed out the frame, reducing the deficit to just one.

The Belgian had clawed his way back into the match, despite not making a break over 50, and he continued that form in taking the eighth frame to level the scores at 4-4.

Selby had led twice by three frames, but now faces an evening session in which anything could happen.

Brecel reached the final after a 6-2 win against Mark Allen in the semi-finals, stopping his opponent from reaching yet another Home Nations tournament final this year.

Selby, searching for some better form after coming off the boil of late, defeated Australian Neil Robertson 6-4 in his own semi on Saturday.

– – –