Betfred World Snooker Championships 2015 - the final day...

Well, the light at the end of the 17-day long tunnel is here....Shaun Murphy leads Stuart Bingham 9-8 in their best-of-35-frames match at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield.

Action starts again at 2pm this afternoon, and again at 7pm.  The way it's going, no-one is predicting an early finish....

 The view from the posh commentary box...

 The Crucible Theatre, packed and waiting for the semi-final to start

The Crucible and Lyceum theatres, decked out for the Betfred World Snooker Championships

World Championship Snooker - Shaun Murphy holds a 9-8 lead

2005 champion Shaun Murphy holds a slender 9-8 lead over Stuart Bingham after a thrilling first day of the Betfred World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible theatre, Sheffield.

Playing in his maiden World Championship final, Stuart Bingham has been on the comeback trail all day - fighting back from 3-0 and 8-4 down to leave it as evenly balanced as it could be going into the final day.


Some photos from this evening's session:

Stuart Bingham takes a 13-11 lead over Judd Trump into tonight's session

Stuart Bingham requires four more frames going into tonight's final semi-final session at the Crucible.

The 38 year old from Essex is looking to make his first World Snooker Championship final with a win over much-fancied Judd Trump.

Some photos from this morning's session:

Good news for the GreatCity Games in Manchester

Some fab news for next Saturday....my accreditation has come through to photograph the GreatCity Games in Manchester!

Been watching rather than shooting athletics for the last couple of months so it'll be good to try to get some photos of KJT as her great year continues, and perhaps something of Jess Ennis on her comeback....

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, long jump, Grand Prix, Birmingham NIA, Feb 2015

Stuart Bingham has one eye the World Snooker Final

The chances of Stuart Bingham making his first World Championship final appearance came a little nearer as he moved 9-7 ahead against Judd Trump during their afternoon session.

In the best of 33 semi final, Bingham started with a 5-3 advantage and with some solid potting, each player won 4 of the afternoon's 8 frames.

Some photos from this afternoon's session:

World Snooker Championship - action from Day 9

Images from some of the matches going on today, Monday 27th April 2015, from the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield.

 Shaun Murphy using the rest in his match with Joe Perry

 Joe Perry playing down the table in his match with Shaun Murphy

 Referee Olivier Marteel shares a joke with the crowd before officiating the match between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Matthews Stevens

 Ronnie O'Sullivan breaks off in frame 17 of his match with Matthew Stevens

 Matthew Stevens plays out from under the cushion

 Ronnie O'Sullivan and Matthew Stevens chat between frames

Ronnie O'Sullivan wrapping up a 13-5 win to move into the quarter finals

Mark Selby - gracious in defeat

Understandably quiet after his 13-9 second round loss to qualifier Anthony McGill, Mark Selby came into the Media room and gave a frank but short interview on the defence of his World Snooker title.

He was on his way out when I asked him for a signature to the photo of him that I took on his entry to the Crucible less than a week before:

All credit to him for taking a few seconds to sign it with good grace.