Selby reinstates his position as World No. 1 and shows the form of the World Champion by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7, after leading 6-2 at the interval in a century-filled final, with four century breaks in five frames – O’Sullivan 134 & 130 and Selby 137 & 134 and Selby winning a match with a 107 break. It was a very high standard of such scoring prowess, with six centuries and another ten 50+ breaks in the final.
After the early favourites in Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui and Stuart Bingham conked out in the first two rounds, allowing the likes of Oliver Lines, Jamie Jones and Liam Highfield earning vital ranking points, the creme rose to the top, resulting in two top players playing each other in a scintillating final. He held his nerve when Ronnie came storming back from 7-2 down to 8-7 behind, but it is Selby’s fabulous temperament that powered him through. Selby has now won the double Triple Crown.
This is why he is No. 1. On the other hand, this is a “full-expenses paid holiday” for Ronnie!
Both players each came through their matches in mainly one-sided matches. Ronnie ran rampant like a wildebeest on fire whitewashing Kaetikunn and Clark in 5 centuries and 6 half-centuries and was rarely troubled by Georgiou, Stevens and Williams. Even with the high quality of players, the Rocket was given a kind route to the semis, but his was given a massive scare by Marco Fu when he was 5-4 behind, but eventually finishing him off with a century in the deciding break.
Selby, weirdly was very similar indeed, though against tougher opponents. after showing his granite tendencies against Hicks and Wells, he breezed past Milkins and the rejuvenated Zhang Anda but came from behind twice to beat Higgins, scoring a century and four half-centuries in the process. He was the first to reach the final by beating good friend Shaun Murphy to reach the final.
Though clearly, even before this final, it seems there is very little Selby can do to win some fans over.
What does Selby have to do win some fans over, seriously!? I understand how brilliant Ronnie is, no matter how many times Dennis Taylor tells me so and then something about golf. Why do snooker player play a lot of golf anyway? QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS NEED ANSWERING Anyways, it just doesn’t seem that in some die-hard Ronnie “GOOARNN RONNIE” fans minds, he is nothing more than a grinder player, a “torturer” as Ronnie described him or worse – boring. It is like Andy Murray – he has won 44 singles titles, two Olympic golds as well as three Grand Slam titles and finished and cemented the season as World No. 1, but all we care about is his interview delivery.
No matter, this snooker final between Selby and O’Sullivan feels like the tennis equivalent of Djokovic and Federer in their prime. After they shared the spoils after the first interval at 2-2, it was Selby that turned it up a notch with four frames in a row, taking advantage of easy misses by Ronnie. After we thought it was going to be an easier win than expected when Selby won the opening frame to make it 7-2, O’Sullivan threw everything including the kitchen sink the size of Piers Morgan’s ego at him, reeling off three frames in the row. This is someone who told everyone he is the underdog of the final, and being so far behind he tried to replicate a Judd Trump-style fightback that a succumbed to a few times.
Then came five frames of fantastic one-visit snooker that showed both players: Ronnie, who turns 41 very soon, and especially Selby who is renowned for his safety and temperament to show what they are made of.
0-134 (134); 137-0 (137); 0-130 (130); 0-82 (82); 134-0 (134); 118-5 (107)
Thank you the Internet for providing that one.
Anyways, this has received plaudits from snooker pundits, players and fans alike. Selt compared Selby to Stephen Hendry; Mark Allen saying the standard is ridiculous; by Hendry as “fucking awesome” (on Twitter, not on the BBC – GOD) and finally, John Parrott went with:
“One of the finest games of snooker I’ve ever seen. The evening session tonight really was snooker from the Gods. Everything about that match from both players was just stupendous.”
Maybe the small minority can finally admit Selby is allowed to be seated among the greats so far. Possibly, it will take another world title for him to do so. But to be such a consistent performer (he reached at least the semis in five out of eight ranking competitions in the first half of the season) AND has now won three of them AND has finished being No 1 at the end of every season since 2012/2013 – you got to admit he has responded to doubters that he can play like a World Champion should.
Mark Williams, since you were drawn against Selby in the first round of the Masters – rather you than me, but cannot wait for that match. OH WAIT, there are the German Masters qualifiers and the Scottish Open before Christmas. Oh dear lord.
