Leicester, england – โฃ Mark Selby secured his first title in overโ a โyear, defeating Judd Trump in the final of the Champion of Champions tournament held in โhis hometown of โLeicester.โ SelbyS victory ends a title drought stretching back to the British Open in Decemberโ of last year.
The Champion of Champions, a โprestigious invitational event featuring major โขtournament winners, was held forโ the first โtime in Leicester, addingโข a special significance for Selby. He claimedโค the ยฃ150,000 prize and reaffirmed his position among snooker’s elite.”I feel like I played well from start โคto finish,” Selby told ITV after his win. “I didn’t miss much. I knew I had to play well. If you don’t do that,you won’t win. I would almost โput Judd โon a par with Ronnie O’Sullivan.He’s so good and has been up there for a while. Those โขare the games you want to play.”
The match began competitively, with both players creating opportunities.Trump, despiteโ strugglingโ with a new cue, initially led 3-1. Selby then won the next four frames, and although Trump leveled โthe score at 5-4 going into the evening session, Selby dominated the โขremainder of the match.
Selby secured the win with breaks of 60, 138 -โฃ the highest of the tournament – 101, and โคa decisiveโข 132 in the โคfinal frame. Theโ world number 11’s performance underscored his enduring skill โandโ tactical prowess.