Mark Selby beats John Higgins to win 2017 World Snooker Championship

Mark Selby has defeated John Higgins in the 2017 World Snooker Championship, securing his third crown in the process.

The world number one successfully defended his crown, stunning Higgins 18-15 in a final that saw him fight back from six frames behind to claim the victory.

Selby will take home the top prize of £375,000, and his place at the top of the world rankings is essentially cemented for a good portion of the next season.

He reached the final after a battle with Ding Junhui, his opponent in last year’s final – it was closely fought, with Selby securing the win 17-15. Higgins defeated Barry Hawkins 17-8, and he was hoping to add to his four world titles.

Both men were multiple world champions already (the first time this has happened in Crucible history), and it was expected the match would be top-quality snooker. Selby and Higgins are excellent match players, and it showed in a final in which neither man wanted to give an inch.

Higgins would dominate the first day, leading 6-2 after the first session, and he was at one point 10-4 ahead during the second. Selby fought back, and reduced the deficit to 10-7 on the first day – he had an uphill battle, but he also had the grit to take it on.

Mark is granite, just granite

– John Higgins

On the second day, Selby won six of the first seven frames, and he was soon leading by 13-11 as the match entered its final session – Selby was keeping Higgins in his chair and punishing him, at one point scoring more than 250 points without any reply. Higgins was good when he had the chance – he made impressive breaks of 88 and 111 – but Selby took charge of the match. The men would share the next six frames, and Selby maintained his two-frame advantage at 16-14.

Things were tense in frame 31, when an attempted snooker by Selby became the subject of much debate. Selby potted a red and then rolled up to the black ball – he was convinced he’d made contact, but referee Jan Verhaas called a foul. There were replays and different angles, and no-one was sure, so Verhaas stuck by his original ruling, and it ultimately cost Selby the frame. Selby was 16-15 in front, but he regrouped in style – successive breaks of 131 and 75 were enough to secure the match, 18-15, and lead to Selby picking up his third world title.

After the match, Selby said: “I can’t believe it, I am still pinching myself now. From 10-4 to get to 10-7 yesterday, I was over the moon as I had nothing left. He outplayed me yesterday. Today I came back fresh and was a lot better.

“When I was 10-4 down I was missing everything and had nothing left. I said ‘pull something together’. If you lose, you want to at least go down fighting.

“To have three world titles is unbelievable and to be one of only four players to defend it is something I could only dream of.”

Higgins said: “Mark is granite, just granite. In the second session I had my chances, I missed a pink into the middle and I could have gone 9-3 ahead. That was a big, big frame. Mark cleared up under extreme pressure.

“He is a fantastic champion. It has been an unbelievable tournament, I gave everything. I came up short to a great champion. I’m proud of myself but he was too good on the day.”