World Snooker Championship 2022 - Mark Selby digs in to split opening session with Yan Bingtao

Mark Selby demonstrated his battling abilities remain intact as he fought back to share the opening session of his World Championship second-round clash with Yan Bingtao. The defending champion has had a tough season, both on the table and off it, but he looks in no mood to surrender his crown as he did not allow Yan to get the upper hand. Ad/> It was a session that never really caught fire, with arguably the most excitement being when a pigeon dive bombed into the Crucibie, to the amusement of players and fans alike — and gave commentators the chance to dust off a series of terrible jokes.

World ChampionshipTrump digs in to see off Vafaei challengeA DAY AGO The scoring may not have been free-flowing, but it was certainly gripping as the match see-sawed in a manner which suggested it could go deep into the third session before the outcome is decided. Selby made the ideal start to the match by taking the opening frame courtesy of a break of 54. He had a big chance to take the second but broke down after knocking in another half century.

Yan needed a couple of bites to level, but got his reward for a delicious cut on a red to the left middle. Yan edged himself in front with a superb break of 104, his 11th Crucible century. He got in by way of a stunning long red and produced a series of superb pots, arguably the highlight being getting from pink to black to secure the ton.