It was already a light-hearted frame when Mark Allen and Mark Selby shared ironic celebrations when locked at 6-6 in the second session of their World Championship semi-final.

Another strange moment happened when Allen put Selby in a tough snooker with the cue ball behind the black and the yellow near the left-hand side cushion.

Selby had already missed the yellow twice, conceding four points the first time around, then six when he flicked the pink.

Each time, Allen put him back in and when Selby fouled for a third time, as the cue ball swung past the yellow and into the pink.

The Northern Irishman then walked out of his seat and Eurosport commentator Neal Foulds was wondering what Allen was doing: “What’s he coming out of his chair for? What does he want to get involved in here?”

David Hendon noticed the scores in the arena was wrong, as it read 59-38, when the score was 53-44 to Selby.

It meant the latest six-point foul had been added to Selby’s points, rather than Allen as marker Tatiana Woollaston was telling referee Leo Scullion where to put the balls back.

“It’s hard enough playing Mark Selby as it is when you get him in a snooker and he gets the points!” joked Foulds.

• ‘What is Allen doing?’ – White questions talking with Selby at interval
• ‘Shot of the championship’ – Allen ponders for three-and-a-half minutes before incredible safety

The situation was soon resolved and Selby went on to win the frame and took a 7-6 lead in the match after finally escaping the snooker at the fourth time of asking.

Session three will begin on Saturday at 10:00 before Selby and Allen play to a finish later that day at 19:00, with every ball live on Eurosport and discovery+.

– – –

Stream top snooker action, including the 2023 World Championship, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com