Selby Rules UK Again

Mark Selby won his second UK Championship title with a 10-7 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan in a classic final in York.

The world number one becomes only the sixth player to win the World and UK Championship tournaments in the same calendar year and scoops the top prize of £170,000 to consolidate his already dominant position at the top of the world ranking list.

Victory in York represents Selby’s third ranking event success of the season and fourth in 2016, following the World Championship, Paul Hunter Classic and International Championship titles. He moves level with Jimmy White on ten career ranking titles.

Leicester’s 33-year Selby is also the sixth player to win all three Triple Crown events on multiple occasions, after O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Steve Davis and Mark Williams.

Defeat for O’Sullivan brought his previously unbeaten record in UK Championship finals to an end, but during the second session of the match he demonstrated his famed ability and fighting qualities to push Selby all the way.

Selby defeated friend and rival Shaun Murphy 6-2 in yesterday’s first semi-final, while O’Sullivan came through a dramatic match with Marco Fu 6-5 to reach the final.

O’Sullivan completed his semi-final victory against Fu with a century break and picked up where he left off today against Selby, a break of 124 giving him the opening frame at the Barbican Centre. Back came Selby to take a close second frame, before O’Sullivan took the third with a break of 63.

From that point however it was world number one Selby who seized control of the match, breaks of 67 and 63 either side of the interval putting him into the lead for the first time.

Another close frame went Selby’s way on the colours as he moved two clear at 4-2, before he restricted the Rocket to just one point during the final two frames of the session, runs of 51, 58 and finally 87 completing a five-frame winning streak for the reigning World Champion.

The Rocket trailed 6-2 after the opening session and following a break of 56 from Selby to start the evening session, looked to be facing a mountain to climb at 7-2. O’Sullivan, however, snapped his six-frame losing streak with breaks of 56 and 80 in frame ten, before adding the next following a missed pink from Selby.

From 7-4 the match caught fire, a total clearance of 134 from O’Sullivan – his 850th career century break – followed by an equally brilliant total clearance of 137 from Selby either side of the interval. Back came O’Sullivan again with another big break of 130, before he added a run of 82 to close to just one behind at 8-7 as it looked as though the match might go all the way.

Selby had other ideas though and would ultimately close out the match with back-to-back century breaks of 134 and 107 to secure the title.