Mark Selby in charge in williamhill.com UK Championship semi-final (From York Press)

Mark Selby in charge in williamhill.com UK Championship semi-final

4:35pm Saturday 8th December 2012 in Sport By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

MARK SELBY takes a commanding 6-2 lead over Mark Davis into tonight's final session of their williamhill.com UK Championship semi-final.

The Leicester potter, who will regain his spot as the world number one should he beat the Hastings-based player, didn't need to be on top form to build a four frame advantage.

Davis, playing in his first major tournament last four match, was under pressure from the start.

Selby has been a notorious slow starter this week - 3-0 down against Ryan Day and 4-0 against Neil Robertson - but a break of 48 gave him the opener and, after Davis failed to get anywhere near a short pot to a corner pocket, he increased his lead with a clinical 121.

Davis spurned a couple of chances in the next but, not for the first time this week, he showed his temperament with a 76 break to get a frame on the board before the mid-session interval.

Selby continued from where left off after the break, taking the first two frames - the second with an 81 clearance - to look like he would make short work of his opponent.

He missed a trick in the next, though, breaking down on 49 and Davis showed all his class to punish him with a break of 80.

But 51 from Selby in the last frame of the afternoon left Davis needing a snooker he could not achieve - and means Selby is just three frames from the nine required to book his place against Shaun Murphy in tomorrow's final.