Mark Selby hits his target by regaining UK Championship crown in York
MARK SELBY has often admitted he is not pretty to watch but hailed clinching the third UK Championship title of his career in York as “amazing” after withstanding a fightback from world No 1 Judd Trump.
Selby had zoomed into a 5-0 lead in the opening session at the Barbican Centre before Trump twice chiselled his way back to a single-frame deficit and threatened to dash his rival’s dream of a first ‘triple crown’ title since 2021.
But the 42-year-old just about held his nerve to complete a 10-8 win that signals his return to the top of the sport after four years in which a return to his dominant best had seemed a distant prospect.
Selby went public over his battle with depression in the wake of his fourth world title win in 2021, endured a whole season without a ranking title to his name and considered retirement after crashing to a Crucible defeat to Joe O’Connor in 2024.
“It’s amazing to win another ‘triple crown’ – they’re not easy to win and it took me nine years to get back here (as UK champion),” said Selby.
“I set my targets out every year to try and win one of these three tournaments and it’s not easy to do. That’s my goal and if I pick up some other tournaments along the way then fantastic.
"I think I’d be speaking on behalf of all the other top boys and they would all be the same – the other tournaments are great, but I think you’re judged by these ‘triple crown’ events, very similarly to the tennis with their grand slams, so I’m chuffed to get another one.
"I thought Judd played great and put me under pressure all the time. But it’s just great to win here again in York. I love the city, I love the venue and the crowd has been fantastic.
“I just try my hardest every single time, sometimes I’m not pretty to watch but I don’t ever leave the table having not tried – whether I win or lose.”
However, he showed flashes of his old self throughout the week in York, not least in the way he roared into a seemingly insurmountable advantage on the back of five consecutive half-centuries or better.
As Trump inevitably stirred, Selby showed plenty of signs of pressure, not least when he blew a golden chance to clear up for victory in the 17th frame, but he recovered well and a hard-earned 69 in the next saw him over the line.
Defending champion Trump had made relatively serene progress into the fifth UK final of his career, but was forced to adopt a rearguard action in the wake of Selby’s stunning start, belatedly awakening with consecutive breaks of 74 and 75 to give himself a glimmer of hope.
Trump blew two big chances to further reduce the deficit in the final frame of the afternoon, instead sending Selby back to the dressing room with a 6-2 lead, and when he took the first after the resumption, an early night looked likely.
Instead, Selby showed his first signs of frailty. Trump pulled back to 7-3 and won a dramatic and error-strewn 11th frame helped by an act of sportsmanship by Selby, after Trump disputed referee Olivier Marteel’s award of a free ball in Selby’s favour.
Selby accepted Trump’s protest and the balls were returned to the position of the original snooker, out of which Trump duly fluked the last red and reduced the deficit to 7-4.
Trump had clearly stepped up a level, delivering two centuries – 105 and 124 respectively – which sandwiched a cool 91 from Selby and the mid-session interval, ensuring the world number one kept clinging on at 8-6 down.
Selby twice missed blacks off their spots as Trump closed within one at 8-7, and Trump did so again at 9-8 after Selby jarred the simplest of reds with the title seemingly at his mercy.
But the four-time world champion was not to be denied.
“Mark was brilliant at the start and I think I just dragged him down towards the end,” said Trump. “I was in a similar position last year and it’s hard to get over the line in these finals. (But) Mark was the best player all week”