A reprieve it was but not for long.

Shaun Murphy makes a bit of a mess of two of his positional shots and allows Wu Yize back in once more.

Murphy now requires two snookers to get back into this.

What a reprieve for Shaun Murphy.

In an attempt to cannon the cue ball into the pack of reds, Wu Yize misses the black to the corner and allows Murphy back in.

Wu leads by 48 with 59 remaining.

Is Wu Yize going to punish Shaun Murphy again?

For the second frame in a row, on a break of 13, Murphy misses using the rest.

He allows Wu to the table and the 22-year-old has already built himself up beyond the half-century mark.

Absolutely no signs of nerves from the young man in these early stages.

Another day, another warning to the crowd.

Prior to frame three getting under way, the referee orders someone inside the Crucible Theatre to turn their phone onto silent.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

It [Shaun Murphy's break style] has been so effective but every now and again it can go wrong if you don't catch it absolutely perfectly.

He's conscious that Wu is such a great long potter, he has to get it right and this time he didn't get it right.

No is the answer.

Wu Yize knocks in a tough pink to the corner and punishes Shaun Murphy to the absolute maximum.

A perfect start for the 22-year-old.

Murphy needs to recompose himself after that one.

Wow. Shaun Murphy looked destined to clear up there.

He misses a green with the rest and looks fuming with himself.

Will Wu Yize give him another chance?

After a fantastic green that takes him to a break of 36, Wu Yize misses a long red and allows Shaun Murphy back to the table.

The Englishman opens his break up with a lovely plant. A good score here from 'The Magician' will do his confidence the world of good.

The table in front of him looks very appetising.

That's a tough start to frame two for Shaun Murphy.

'The Magician' gets his vintage break-off from this year's World Championship all wrong.

It allows Wu Yize a pretty open field of reds to take his pick from.

He still needs to deal with a couple of impediments but he's up to a break of 32 right now.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC One

Sometimes the adrenaline keeps you going and Wu will be so excited today.

Kyren Wilson
2024 World Championship winner on BBC One

It will give Wu confidence knowing he's beaten Shaun in the second-biggest tournament in the Masters. I like the fact he has got that X-factor and he is going to make it difficult for Shaun today. He can pot them off the lampshades.

There we go!

A lot of attempted snookers from Shaun Murphy but with just the pink and black left on the table towards the back end, it was an incredibly tough ask.

Wu Yize takes the opening frame of the World Championship final.

You can read a bit more here about the break-off style adopted by Murphy during the World Championship.

Joe Perry
Former World Championship semi-finalist on BBC One

Wu just cannot finish this frame off.

A tremendous long red from Shaun Murphy to set him up on the black. He pots that with no issues but then misses a relatively easy yellow and allows Wu Yize in.

Wu pots the yellow but misses a simple green of his own!

The nerves are jangling.

Murphy requires one snooker to get back into this.

Image source, PA Media

It would be a record between a player's first and second Crucible victory if Shaun Murphy wins the final. There were also 21 years between Ronnie O'Sullivan's first and seventh world titles - but obviously he won a few in between.

Curse of the live texter.

Wu Yize misses a red to the bottom right. Shaun Murphy can't capitalise and Wu comes back to the table but there's nothing easy on here.

He's 58 ahead with 59 remaining.

Image source, PA Media

On the action itself, Wu Yize has started to build nicely.

After a couple of tentative efforts from both, Wu's nerves seem to have lifted.

He's onto a break of 35, 48 on the scoreboard.

Barring anything disastrous, he looks set to take the first frame of the final.

A nice tribute to the late John Virgo by a couple of supporters in the crowd.

One wearing a shirt with the words "Is there a gap?" on, while the other, of course, wearing one that says, "There's always a gap!"

Lovely touch, fellas.