Cueing up for the snooker world championship- Mark Selby
Bettor.com profiles the main players and outsiders for this year’s world championship
The Jester from Leicester is one of the most colourful characters on the snooker circuit, and has been one of the most improved players over the last two seasons. This season though has been one to forget for Selby. He has not performed well at all, and has not had the same impact as he did in the previous two campaigns.
Selby only has one ranking tournament victory to his name, but his record at The Masters is something that cannot be ignored, and is something that will make him a contender for the Crucible crown.
Selby won his first title by clinching The Masters in 2008, beating Stephen Lee in a one-sided match. He made a name for himself by winning all of his matches in the deciding frames, but when it came to the final he was too hot to handle for Lee.
Selby has only lost one match at The Masters, and that was the final in 2009, where he lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan. He would go on to win The Masters again in 2010, this time getting his revenge on The Rocket, and winning from a position where it was O’Sullivan’s title to lose.
Selby won the first ranking title of his career at the Welsh Open in 2008, coming back from the brink of defeat to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan. He has the experience to cross the winning line, and has the style of play that can enable him to do well in Sheffield. The longer format of snooker is better suited to how Selby likes to play, and The Crucible always produces intense matches, the kind of situation Selby thrives on. He is only one of maybe two or three players to produce his very best when questions are thoroughly being asked. You only have to look at what he has achieved in The Masters to see why he is capable of winning the world title.
The Jester has a decent record at The Crucible. He reached the final back in 2007, losing to John Higgins. In last year’s tournament, he produced his finest snooker, and led 12-11 against Higgins, only for Higgins to draw on all of his years of experience to beat Selby. Selby had knocked in three centuries in the opening three frames, and made a total of five in the match. Somehow, he lost the match.
Selby, having exploded a few seasons back, was expected to pull off more tournament wins. Since his first ranking title, he has only his tremendous record at The Masters to show for his success.
The 26-year-old’s form this season has been remarkably sub-standard. He will be hoping to resurrect his season by doing well at The Crucible. He will be buoyed by his success at The Masters, and will want to prove that he can go one step better than he did in 2007 and win at Sheffield.
At least that would give the Jester the last laugh.
Tags: