MARK SELBY DENIED Asia its first snooker world champion by beating China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in the World Championship final on Monday.
It was the second time in three years that the Englishman had won snooker’s most important prize.
Selby was ahead throughout in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England, but Monday’s concluding session saw Ding close the gap to 16-14 before the 2014 champion prevailed.
“I had a very bad start 6-0 down, I couldn’t win a frame. I was a bit nervous as I hadn’t been in a (World Championship) final before,” Ding, who had to come through qualifying in order to reach the main draw of this year’s edition after dropping out of snooker’s top 16, told the BBC.
Meanwhile a delighted Selby added: “It was a tough final and with the amount of pressure Ding is under, from China alone but to play like that. I can’t imagine how he could do that.
“In the first to 18, a 6-0 lead is not a huge one, especially against someone like Ding.
“He played fantastically earlier today and I had to just hang on to him. I’m just over the moon. I saved my best performance for the final and I only had two good sessions in the tournament. Luckily my ‘B’ game is pretty good.”
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Victory ensured a double sporting triumph for world number one Selby’s home town of Leicester in the English Midlands on Monday.
Minutes before he completed his victory, Leicester City were crowned English Premier League football champions after nearest pursuers Tottenham Hotspur could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea.
“To be Premier League champions is a fantastic achievement and I want to say well done to (manager) Claudio (Ranieri) and the boys,” said Selby.
The eventual champion resumed Monday with a 10-7 overnight lead.
Ding needed a good start to the day’s snooker and got one by winning a 50-minute opening frame before taking the next on the black to cut Selby’s lead to 11-10.
However, Selby won three of the next four frames to stay in front with a healthy, but by no means decisive, lead after he went 6-0 up at the start on Sunday.
In an attritional match — Sunday’s evening session did not finish until 2323 GMT — the pair then exchanged centuries to leave Selby narrowly ahead.
Breaks of 52 and 68 then assured Selby would lead going into the concluding session. Ding pulled one back to close to within two before Selby ended the session with a break of 55.
Selby then took the first two frames of the evening session to go 16-11 in front thanks to contributions of 55 and 46.
Ding had a chance to close the gap in the next.
Ding was well-placed at 60-31 up but Selby doubled a red into the middle pocket and then, with the scores level at 60-60, produced a superb thin cut on the last black.
However, Ding then interrupted Selby’s streak with a well-complied break of 73, although that still left him with a mountain to climb at 12-16 behind.
But the resilient Ding then cut the deficit even further with a break of 70 before a superb contribution of 103, where he several times produced brilliant recovery shots, meant he’d won three frames in a row and stopped Selby potting a ball for nearly an hour.
Now Ding was just two frames behind at 14-16.
The next frame lasted nearly an hour but Selby won it 59-11 before a break of 74 in the 32nd completed his march to the title.
Great day for Leicester complete as Selby wins World Championship final
Updated at 22.26
MARK SELBY DENIED Asia its first snooker world champion by beating China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in the World Championship final on Monday.
It was the second time in three years that the Englishman had won snooker’s most important prize.
Selby was ahead throughout in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England, but Monday’s concluding session saw Ding close the gap to 16-14 before the 2014 champion prevailed.
“I had a very bad start 6-0 down, I couldn’t win a frame. I was a bit nervous as I hadn’t been in a (World Championship) final before,” Ding, who had to come through qualifying in order to reach the main draw of this year’s edition after dropping out of snooker’s top 16, told the BBC.
Meanwhile a delighted Selby added: “It was a tough final and with the amount of pressure Ding is under, from China alone but to play like that. I can’t imagine how he could do that.
“In the first to 18, a 6-0 lead is not a huge one, especially against someone like Ding.
“He played fantastically earlier today and I had to just hang on to him. I’m just over the moon. I saved my best performance for the final and I only had two good sessions in the tournament. Luckily my ‘B’ game is pretty good.”
Victory ensured a double sporting triumph for world number one Selby’s home town of Leicester in the English Midlands on Monday.
Minutes before he completed his victory, Leicester City were crowned English Premier League football champions after nearest pursuers Tottenham Hotspur could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea.
“To be Premier League champions is a fantastic achievement and I want to say well done to (manager) Claudio (Ranieri) and the boys,” said Selby.
The eventual champion resumed Monday with a 10-7 overnight lead.
Ding needed a good start to the day’s snooker and got one by winning a 50-minute opening frame before taking the next on the black to cut Selby’s lead to 11-10.
However, Selby won three of the next four frames to stay in front with a healthy, but by no means decisive, lead after he went 6-0 up at the start on Sunday.
In an attritional match — Sunday’s evening session did not finish until 2323 GMT — the pair then exchanged centuries to leave Selby narrowly ahead.
Breaks of 52 and 68 then assured Selby would lead going into the concluding session. Ding pulled one back to close to within two before Selby ended the session with a break of 55.
Selby then took the first two frames of the evening session to go 16-11 in front thanks to contributions of 55 and 46.
Ding had a chance to close the gap in the next.
Ding was well-placed at 60-31 up but Selby doubled a red into the middle pocket and then, with the scores level at 60-60, produced a superb thin cut on the last black.
However, Ding then interrupted Selby’s streak with a well-complied break of 73, although that still left him with a mountain to climb at 12-16 behind.
But the resilient Ding then cut the deficit even further with a break of 70 before a superb contribution of 103, where he several times produced brilliant recovery shots, meant he’d won three frames in a row and stopped Selby potting a ball for nearly an hour.
Now Ding was just two frames behind at 14-16.
The next frame lasted nearly an hour but Selby won it 59-11 before a break of 74 in the 32nd completed his march to the title.
- © AFP 2016
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Closing In Crucible Theatre Ding Junhui Mark Selby Snooker Steve Davis