UK Championship Final Mark Selby 10-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan

Mark Selby 10-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan 

Mark Selby beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-7 in a thrilling final to win the UK Championship for the second time.

In a sensational evening session Selby hit three centuries in the final six frames, with O'Sullivan hitting two of his own, to clinch victory in York.

Five-time winner O'Sullivan fought back from 7-2 down to trail 8-7.

But Selby, 33, rose to the challenge to become only the sixth player to secure the World Championship and UK titles in the same calendar year.

Selby joins the greats

Selby has now ended O'Sullivan's five-title winning streaks in both the World and UK tournaments, collecting the £170,000 winner's prize money.

He joins an illustrious list of players in O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, John Higgins and John Parrott to hold both titles in the same year.

The match looked to have been won in the first session as Selby, renowned for his resolute style of play, won 33 and 48 minute frames.

He compiled 489 points to O'Sullivan's 50, taking six frames in a row.

Early errors cost O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan missed the chance to not only equal Steve Davis's UK haul of six, but also move second in the all-time ranking winner's list behind Hendry.

It was his third defeat in the final of a major event this season, following losses against Judd Trump at the European Masters and John Higgins at the Champion of Champions.


Despite a blistering opening frame and further tons in the second session - taking his total of career centuries past 850 - he made uncharacteristic errors in the opening session which ultimately cost him the match.


2nd session: Mark Selby 3-6 Ronnie O'Sullivan (how I saw the session)


Frame 9: Early safety battle between both players, atmosphere electric in York! Selby pots a mid distance red and looks in sharp form tonight, the 'Jester from Leicester' looking to win the World & UK titles in the same calendar year no-one has done it, Mark moves on to a break of 41 needs a few more points to inflict a body-blow on the Rocket. A cannon opens up more reds and gives Mark a chance to win this opening frame of the night, Mark breaks down on 56. 75 remaining on the table, after a mini safety battle, Selby pots a cracking red from just by the yellow (Ronnie very nearly snookered Mark), looking now like 7-2 to the man from Leicester, but Ronnie needs 2 snookers he looks to get them, missed a pink eventually Ronnie concedes (Mark Selby 7-2 Ronnie O'Sullivan).


Frame 10: A good pot by Ronnie gets himself underway in the frame, Ronnie's cue ball control just deserting him at the moment, working hard for these points scrapping if you will like a tiger, up to 50 now looking like the 'Rocket' will pull one back, he isn't going as fast as a Rocket but he is starting to warm up, but hang on he unfortunately runs out of position on 56 after a fabulous cannon. Ronnie gets 8 penalty points after Mark missed a thin contact on a red after going back to baulk, Mark had a third go leaves an easy red on, Ronnie takes the first step up a very tall mountain. He clears up with a 80. (Mark Selby 7-3 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 11: Excellent pot by Ronnie picked a red out by the black, adds a blue, nice safety. After a bit of thinking time Mark pots a good red but runs out of position on the black, Mark misses the pink into the right middle, Ronnie really needs to take his chances, needs a big break to send a message to Selby. only 18 points lost concentration missed the red. Mini safety battle which Mark wins, he is in amongst the balls, 34 break missed pink into the right middle again, down to the colours now, Ronnie wins the frame, he takes the 2nd step up the mountain. (Mark Selby 7-4 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 12: Fabulous red by Ronnie! Momentum is a wonderful thing folks, the Rocket maybe starting to fire up tough red nailed into the left middle, onto 51 splits the pack he is on a red the break keeps on going, Ronnie wins the frame powers into the mid session interval only two frames behind. Century no.850 of his career quite amazing, a 134 total clearance. (Mark Selby 7-5 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 13: Ronnie misses a red into the right corner pocket, splits the reds in the process big chance for Mark, seals the frame in one visit, a total clearance of 137, Selby opens up a 3 frame lead again. (Mark Selby 8-5 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 14: Mark had an early chance which he didn't take, Ronnie on a charge, a break of 130 total clearance. (Mark Selby 8-6 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 15: Ronnie 82, match well and truly on! (Mark Selby 8-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 16: Ronnie misses a brown, Mark punishes him, he moves to within one frame of the title! Another century in this magnificent evening session, what a standard, 134, incredible! (Mark Selby 9-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan)


Frame 17: Missed attempts at getting out of snookers in the early exchanges of this frame, Mark pots an unbelieveable red from the jaws of the pocket, another missed pink into a middle pocket! The left one this time, Ronnie snookered behind the green, swerves round the green pots the red! The audience goes bananas! Misses a long blue though. Ronnie traps Mark behind the brown an amazing safety battle! Mark does escape, very tight frame crucial too. Break to 43 now made hard work of this has the world champion, Mark makes a lovely gesture to his wife, he knows he has done it! Mark Selby wins his 2nd UK title! 107 to finish it. (Mark Selby 10-7 Ronnie O'Sullivan)






First session: Mark Selby 6-2 Ronnie O'Sullivan 

World champion Mark Selby secured a 6-2 lead over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the opening session of the UK Championship final in York.

Five-time UK winner O'Sullivan made a brilliant start with a break of 124 in the first frame and added a 63 break in the third to lead 2-1.

But world number one Selby won five frames in a row, with his top break of 87 coming in the session's final frame.

They play to a conclusion from 19:00 GMT in the best-of-19 match.

Selby showed his fighting spirit with a break of 67 in the fourth frame to ensure he went into the mid-session interval all-square at 2-2.

He then dominated the second session, with a break of 63 in the fifth frame putting him ahead for the first time.

And as O'Sullivan missed routine chances, Selby made breaks of 58 and 87 to take charge.


A victory for Selby would see a player win the world and UK titles in the same year for the first time since O'Sullivan achieved the feat in 2001.