UK Championship: Mark Selby beats Ronnie O'Sullivan in epic snooker final
MARK SELBY resisted a spirited Ronnie O’Sullivan comeback to seal his second Betway UK Championship title at the York Barbican.
Mark Selby had led 6-2 in the best-of-19 encounter after a first session in which Ronnie O’Sullivan played some of the worst snooker of his tournament.
He had opened the match with a break of 124 in the first frame but from 2-1 up he lost five straight frames as Selby showed off his tactical ability.
O’Sullivan, in his sixth UK final, was not done though and he won the next three frames before the mid-session interval, making it 7-5 with a stunning break of 134.
But Selby responded after the break in kind with a 137 after O’Sullivan missed a simple red.
It was a near-perfect clearance that was his biggest of the week - O’Sullivan has never lost in the final before but Selby has, and that disappointment seemed to fuel a steely concentration that never faltered in the latter stages.
But the former world No 1 fought back time and again with more superb break-building: he made it 8-6 and then 8-7 with another superb 130 as the two players put on an exhibition of snooker.
Mark Selby and Neil Robertson take on the Crazy Snooker challenge
It was Selby's turn in Frame 16 with a 134 after O'Sullivan missed a brown off its spot - one of a number of 'basic balls' that he admitted cost him the final.
'The Rocket' was at fault again in what turned out to be the final frame and the world champion found yet another century (107) to finish the match off.