Mark Selby produced a robust show to beat John Higgins 10-5 and win the 2024 British Open title in Cheltenham on Sunday.
A swashbuckling opening session of snooker from each gamers noticed them trade three centuries and 5 extra breaks of 60 or greater.
After sharing the primary 4 frames to enter the primary mid-session interval locked at 2-2, Selby subsequently compiled runs of 137, 135, and 88 to determine a 5-3 benefit.
The scoring wasn’t so relentless when play resumed for the night session, however as soon as extra they shared the opening salvo to take care of the two-frame cushion.
Once they returned from the ultimate mid-session interval, Selby crucially moved three frames clear.
The 42 year-old didn’t stutter with the successful line in sight, duly contributing breaks of 91 and 93 to energy house to victory.
Success brings Selby a twenty third profession rating title and a primary in 18 months since successful final yr’s WST Traditional.
The £100,000 champion’s cheque will see the Leicester man return to the highest 4 on the earth rankings, whereas the triumph additionally broke his hoodoo of getting did not ever win a match during which ITV was the host broadcaster.
There have been some indications that his victory this week was already written within the stars, Selby coming by means of his first 4 matches in deciding frames and twice on the ultimate black.
He duly saved his finest snooker for when it mattered essentially the most throughout the weekend to turn into the primary particular person to carry the Clive Everton Trophy for the reason that passing of the legendary snooker journalist and commentator a number of days in the past.
“It’s nice. To beat John in any ultimate is a good achievement,” Mark Selby advised the World Snooker Tour.
“The best way I performed from begin to end at this time was actually pleasing. The primary session was unimaginable, neither of us hardly missed a pot.”
“I received to the resort and appeared on the stats – I used to be on 98% and he was on 96%. It wasn’t pretty much as good tonight, but it surely was nonetheless very, very shut.
“I’ve been struggling for a short while. Even within the early a part of this match, I didn’t play implausible, I used to be simply scraping by means of.
“However then in the direction of the again finish of the match, I appeared to play so much higher.”
Defeat for Higgins, in the meantime, was a fifth in a row when in a rating occasion ultimate, and the Scot’s quest for a thirty second rating title goes on.
It was a disappointing climax to an in any other case sturdy occasion, with Higgins instantly returning to the highest 16 on the earth rankings having briefly dropped exterior the elite bracket every week in the past.
The 2024 British Open belongs to Mark Selby, nevertheless, who will head right into a busy interval on the calendar with renewed confidence in his recreation.
2024 British Open
Chosen Outcomes
Final 16
John Higgins 4-0 Rory Thor
David Gilbert 4-3 Lyu Haotian
Oliver Strains 4-1 Stan Moody
Judd Trump 4-2 Stephen Maguire
Mark Allen 4-3 Chris Wakelin
Jak Jones 4-2 Luca Brecel
Elliot Slessor 4-2 Kyren Wilson
Mark Selby 4-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Quarter-Finals
Oliver Strains 5-4 Jak Jones
Mark Selby 5-4 David Gilbert
Mark Allen 5-3 Judd Trump
John Higgins 5-1 Elliot Slessor
Semi-Finals
Mark Selby 6-3 Mark Allen
John Higgins 6-0 Oliver Strains
Remaining
Mark Selby 10-5 John Higgins
Featured photograph credit score: WST
