Mark Selby beat John Higgins 18-15 to win the 2017 Betfred World Snooker Championship and retain the trophy he lifted final 12 months, when he defeated Ding Junhui by a fairly related scoreline, 18-14.
Selby’s had an incredible season, successful the UK Championship again in December by defeating the one and solely Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 and the just lately ended China Open the place he beat Mark Williams 10-8.
Speak about breaking a curse for everyone knows that because the China Open was moved within the snooker calendar earlier than the World Championship, no China Open winner managed to additionally money the world title.
Within the 2017 World Snooker Championship last, Selby was led 10-4 by a livid John Higgins who displayed such an impressive cue motion all through the primary two classes.
However one thing modified, or higher to say, Selby’s grit made an look, when the gamers returned for his or her third session, “The Jester” being led 10-7.
The present world primary took the primary two frames, some real scrappy affairs, with only a prime break of 40 earlier than Higgins might make an excellent 78 clearance and restore the three-frame benefit, 11-9.
Selby managed to win the body earlier than the interval on the colors and carried on by firing in breaks of 67, 58 and 72 to finish his comeback and take the lead, 13-11.
That is how the scoreline was wanting when the forth and final session kicked off, Mark being the one to shortly get the run of the balls and get another body below his belt.
An out-of-sorts Higgins tried his greatest and managed to win the following body, however by the mid-session interval Selby’s breaks of 71 and 70 had been placing him 16-12 in entrance.
After the 15-minutes break the Scotsman produced some magnificent breaks of 88, 111 and 43 to win three frames in a row and preserve his hopes alive, however Selby was positive to reply with a strong 131 and a 75 to shut the match at 18-15.
Selby’s victory means much more because it places him alongside with three nice legends of the sport, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan for successful back-to-back world titles.
“The Jester” is now a thee-time world champion and £375,000 richer, however most significantly continues to retain his world primary spot and tells the story of what willpower, stamina and hard-work is all about.
Congrats Jester! You probably did it once more!
Pictures credit score (1&2): World Snooker