Selby claims second World Snooker title – and a £330,000 prize – to cap glorious night for Leicester
World No1 Mark Selby toasted the finest sporting hour in Leicester’s history after he followed up his home town’s Premier League triumph by winning a second World Snooker Championship.
Selby beat China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in an attritional final that ended within 15 minutes of his local football team clinching the unlikeliest of title wins by virtue of Chelsea holding Tottenham to a draw.
“To be Premier League champions is a fantastic achievement and I want to say well done to Claudio [Ranieri, Leicester manager] and the boys,” said the 32-year-old, who pocketed a record prize of £330,000.
Read more: How title win could be worth £250m to Leicester City
Selby, who attracted criticism for slow play, appeared to agree with come of his detractors but said his methodical approach had been necessary to fend off the challenge of Ding at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
“It is fantastic. It was very special to win it two years ago, but I felt under a lot more pressure now than I did [then],” he added.
“A 6-0 lead [as he had on Sunday] is not a huge one, especially against someone like Ding. He played fantastically earlier today and I had to just hang on to him.
“I’m just over the moon. I saved my best performance for the final and I only had two good sessions in the tournament. Luckily my B game is pretty good.”
Sixth multiple champ
Selby raced into a six-frame lead at the start of the final but Ding, 29, who was bidding to become the first Asian to win the title, repeatedly clawed his way back into contention.
The 2014 champion never relinquished his grip, however, and though Ding briefly revived hopes of a famous comeback by winning three frames in a row when 16-11 down, the momentum swung again.
Selby is only the sixth player to win multiple World Championships during the Crucible era, after Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams.