Mark Selby wins 2016 World Snooker Championship

Mark Selby has won the 2016 World Snooker Championship, defeating China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in the final.

It is Selby’s second world title – his first came in 2014, when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan by the same score line.

Ding had hoped to make history as the sport’s first ever Asian world champion, but the wait will go on as he was outclassed by his opponent in a close-fought match. He had already set one record on the way to the final, with his semi-final clash with Alan McManus setting a new bar for the most century breaks achieved in a professional match with ten (Ding made seven of them, a record in itself).

Selby’s semi-final was responsible for a record itself, as his battle with Marco Fu set a new record for the longest frame of snooker ever played at the Crucible (at 76 minutes 11 seconds).

Both men were in the final, hungry for victory, but only one could triumph. And it was Selby who really got things underway, taking full advantage of Ding’s caginess to establish his dominance. The Leicester player made breaks of 91, 76, 70 and 120 to surge into a 6-0 lead – Ding won the final two frames of the session to keep him in the match, albeit a long way back.

In the evening session, Selby ran away with the first frame, but then he gave Ding a chance in the next after a miscue among the reds. Ding took advantage, and then he made 103 and 89 to reduce the deficit to 7-5. The 15^th frame was a long time, lasting 66 minutes, but it took a lot out of him – Selby pinched the last two frames, although clearly tired himself. Things ended at 00:24, and after the first day of the final, Selby had a 10-7 lead.

On the second day, Ding was ready to mount a comeback, and he was at one point trailing by only one frame at 11-10 – however, Selby fought and won three of the remaining four frames to go into the final session 14-11. Come that session, he won the first two frames, leaving him only needing two for victory. Ding wasn’t going down without a fight – he took the next three frames without conceding a point, making breaks of 73, 70 and 103 to close to 16-14 (that last century was the 86^th of the tournament, equalling the record).

Frame 31 was another long one, lasting 51 minutes, and it was controlled by Selby, who built a 51-11 lead before potting the last red he needed. He was one frame away from the title – he had a chance in the next frame, and he seized it, with a run of 74 securing the title.

I was second favourite, but here I am sitting here as world champion

– Mark Selby

After the match, Selby said: “It’s a great feeling. To win it once was a huge achievement, and something that I wanted to do, but I never dreamed of winning twice, I’m quite emotional.

“The first time is always special, especially at the World Championship, the same when you win your first ranking tournament. And when you look at the people to have won it twice, to join that elite group is amazing.

“I feel shattered. Last night I was so tired, to come out of that 10-7 up was huge because it was the first time I’d been ahead after the first day of the final.

“Ding was under a lot of pressure, it was his first world final and there’s massive expectation from China. I knew I had to capitalise early doors, every time I got a chance I punished him and scored. I missed a blue to go 7-0 up and if I had done that I might have won more easily. Ding showed class and came back to within a frame at times, but I managed to dig deep.

“For a lot of this tournament my game has been average, whereas Ding has played great, the only bad session he had was in the first session in the final. I was second favourite, but here I am sitting here as world champion. I think it was just grit and determination, I never give in, no matter how badly I’m playing. Until that final ball is potted I still keep believing inside that I can win.”

Ding said: “I played well in the last session. The start was very bad, I went 6-0 down and I was too far away from Mark. He played good safety and he knows how to win frames. The match got harder but I enjoyed it more towards the end.

“Five years ago I got to the semi-finals and now this year I have gone one step further. Maybe next time I’m going to win this. It’s good experience for my career, I’m enjoyed the final and not many players have got to the final here.

“This season I have been working with Terry Griffiths for the first time and I think I have improved. If I keep playing like this I can win more tournaments.”