Super Selby
MARATHON MAN Mark Selby will aim to win a fifth World Snooker Championship crown on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Leicester Jester distinguished the spirited challenge of Northern Ireland potter Mark Allen with a 17-xxx semi-final victory in the early hours of Sunday morning.
With four world titles on his CV since 2014, Selby could move just two behind Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry should he get the better of Luca Brecel over 35 frames.
The No.2 seed – the master match-player of his generation – led 11-10 after the morning session and then won the opening five frames of Saturday’s evening session, which included a superb 103 break.
And while Allen, 37, fought back with four frames on the trot, Selby came through the prolonged safety battles to move into a sixth final.
Fatigue could be a factor as he tries to hunt down the Rocket and Scotsman Hendry in the record books and scoop the £500,000 top prize.
Though he has been in this position before, Selby will be returning to the baize for a 1pm start – with the evening session set for 7pm.
His performance this time is a contrast to this time last year when he lost in the second round to Yan Bingtao.
The snooker champ is in a good mental place these days, having received help from doctors after he revealed his struggles publicly on Twitter in January 2022.
