2023 World Snooker Championship Day 15 Preview: Si Jiahui eyes Crucible history

Luca Brecel and Si Jiahui are back for the third and final session on Saturday of what has been a thrilling World Championship semi-final contest.

Crucible debutant Si has the chance to become the youngest World Championship finalist, should he convert a 14-10 second session lead when the players return at 13:00 on Saturday.
 

Luca Brecel (11/4) v Si Jiahui (2/7)

What	Luca Brecel v Si Jiahui
Where	Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
When	13:00, Saturday 29th April
How to watch	bet365 Sports Live Streaming, BBC and Eurosport
Odds	Luca Brecel 11/4, Si Jiahui 2/7

It’s been a fantastic run from 20-year-old Si, who has beaten three top potters in Shaun Murphy, Robert Milkins and Anthony McGill to reach the last-four stage.

The Chinese cueman started the event as a 200/1 shot, after coming through three qualifying matches just to reach the Sheffield showpiece, and he his now just 11/4 To Win Outright the tournament in his first ever appearance at the Crucible Theater.

Si started the last-four clash in terrific form, racing into a 4-1 lead and was unflustered under the Sheffield spotlight.

He continued to produce some fantastic snooker, taking advantage of mistakes from Brecel and the Chinese sensation managed to establish a 14-5 lead over the Belgian Bullet. However, the final five frames of Friday's second session have kept Brecel's hopes alive.

The 28-year-old countered with runs of 108, 60, 66 and 53 to win the final five frames of play and that cut Si's advantage to just four frames.

Brecel is 11/4 in the Match Winner market to mount what looked an unlikely comeback, when trailing 14-5, and the Dilsen-Stokkem is 17/2 To Win Outright his first World Championship title.
 

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A fantastic clash to watch

Scoreline aside, the semi-final between Brecel and Si has to go down as one of the most entertaining matches ever played at the Crucible. 

It's been refreshing, attacking, exciting and high-quality snooker and the third and final session may deliver more thrills and spills.

There is no reason to think that the break-building extravaganza won't continue and it's 6/1 that there are a total of eight centuries made in the semi-final.

Of course, pressure will increase as a place in the Crucible final moves closer, but Brecel kept his cool to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-final stage and Si has come through two final-frame deciders against top-level potters Murphy and McGill.

Everything is set for what should be a thrilling afternoon of semi-final action.