Revisiting Snooker’s great moments: Ronnie O’Sullivan loses to Mark Selby, Snooker Masters 2010
Snooker Masters Final 2010 was held at the Wembley arena on January 17, 2010. Mark Selby outclassed the three-time former world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Ronnie, who was leading by a frame score of 9-6 in a best of 19 frames final, lost in the end.
Both players after getting a very warm welcome for the crowd shook hands to start off with the final of Snooker Masters. Ronnie, who has been the world champion on three occasions (2001, 2004, 2008) and the second of all time prize money winner behind
Stephen Hendry, was grounded by Mark Selby.
Ronnie playing well having a lead of 9-6, was looking pretty close to the finish line, when Mark Selby clawed his way back by winning 3 consecutive frames, making the scores 9-9. And the match went to the final deciding frame.
It was Ronnie who broke it playing left-handedly this time, leaving the cue ball behind green. It was a good break but he somehow left Selby with a long red balls pot. Selby, who already was confident after making a three frames comeback, executed
it beautifully landing on the green.
Selby potted green simply and placed a red near the bunch beautifully for the black, from where he also made an angle to canon the red balls. However, he could not avail that chance to the fullest, as after making a break of 27 points, went out of
the position, but left Ronnie with a difficult safety shot leaving cue ball behind the brown. Though it was not all ball snooker but still Ronnie could not run away and made a canon with the blue, while bringing the cue ball back, leaving his opponent an easy
red for the black.
Ronnie was disappointed from his shot and so was the crowd. Selby after placing the first black, played a few spectacular shots showing his control over the cue ball, compiled another break of 37 before he missed the red into the corner pocket leaving
Ronnie with a straight long pot.
Ronnie missed it closely hitting the red with the jaws but lucky left Selby with nothing. But Selby had a different plan and having a lead of 64-0 to Ronnie, successfully doubled the red lying with the cushion. Ronnie O’Sullivan was flabbergasted seeing
his opponents play. Anyhow, Selby did not place any colour after it as he had kept safety prior in his mind. The crowd also enjoyed watching it go.
Selby tried potting a difficult black’s cut into the centre pocket, which he missed giving Ronnie a final chance to get back on the table. But Ronnie showing a few signs of frustration trough his body language missed the red again and conceded the
frame to Selby.
For the tournament and also for the final match Ronnie O’Sullivan was the favourite and Mark Selby was the underdog but Selby’s outclass play turned the tables on Ronnie.
Selby showed nerves of steel while winning the final even when he was trailing Ronnie by 9-6. However, a magnificent 4-frame win against Ronnie O’Sullivan in a row made him the new champion of the world Snooker Masters 2010.
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