Mark Selby
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| Mark Selby | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1983 , Leicester |
| Nationality |  English |
| Nickname(s) | The Jester from Leicester, Mark the Shark |
| Professional | 1999– |
| Highest ranking | #4 |
| 2008/09 ranking | #4 |
| Career winnings | GB£377,425 (up to start of 2007/08 season) |
| Highest break | 141 (2008 Masters) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
| Non-ranking | 1 |
Mark Selby (born 19 June 1983, Leicester, England) is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007,[1] he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. In January 2008, Selby won the Masters, his first major snooker title, and followed this by winning the Welsh Open the very next month, his first ranking-tournament success.
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[edit] Early career
Selby showed potential as a teenager, but did not consistently shine until his twenties. He reached his first ranking final aged 19, the Regal Scottish in 2003, where he finished runner-up to David Gray, losing 9-7 in the final. Before that, he had also already reached the semi-finals of the 2002 China Open, despite leaving his hotel room at 2 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. for one match due to jetlag.[2] His best tournament break is 141, which he produced in the 2008 Masters.
Selby reached the final qualifying round of the World Snooker Championship in 2002, 2003 and 2004, losing each time, but has been present at the Crucible Theatre for the final stages ever since. In 2006, he reached the finals despite a 147 from his final qualifying round opponent Robert Milkins. At Sheffield, he played John Higgins on each occasion until 2008, losing to him in the first round in the 2005 tournament, getting his revenge at the same stage in 2006 [1], and losing narrowly in the 2007 final.
[edit] Breakthrough and success
In the 2007 World Championships, he beat Stephen Lee 10-7 in the first round, having won 8 successive frames from being 5-0 behind[3]. Selby then defeated former World Champion Peter Ebdon 13-8, with five centuries (including three-in-a-row) to reach the quarter-finals.[4] In the quarter-final, he beat Allister Carter 13-12, from 11-8 up and 11-12 down, in a match that lasted well over nine hours.[5] He went on to reach the final by beating Shaun Murphy 17-16 from 14-16 down, in another deciding frame which he won thanks to a 64 break.[6] Against Higgins in the final, Selby trailed 4-12 after the Sunday sessions, but won all six frames played in the third session on Monday afternoon before the players ran out of time due to the length of the frames. Thus he entered the final session only 10-12 down and closed to within one frame at 13-14, but eventually succumbed 13-18.[1] His performances earned him £110,000 (not far off half of his pre-tournament all-time earnings). It was noted by eventual world champion John Higgins, amongst others,[citation needed] in his victory speech, that Selby was the most improved player on the tour. This is attributed in part to a much shorter backswing in his cue action.[citation needed] These performances in the 2006/2007 .season earned Selby a place in the top 16 for the very first time for the 2007/2008 season, where he was ranked 11th.
Selby's achievements at the 2007 World Championships also won him the inaugural 888.com Silver Chip award for outstanding performance. In a close vote, his wins over Lee, Ebdon, Carter and Murphy earned him this accolade from the Snooker Writers’ Association.[7] It was presented at the post-championship ball.
By the end of the 2006/2007 season, Selby had earned £377,425 in professional snooker prize money.[8].
[edit] 2007-08 season
After a moderate start to the season, Selby had a strong run in the second most important professional snooker championship, the United Kingdom Championship, reaching the semi-finals of the event. He led eventual winner Ronnie O'Sullivan 7-5, fell 7-8 behind, but forced a deciding frame. In it, however, O'Sullivan made a 147 break to win 9-8.[9]
On 20 January 2008, Selby won his first major tournament - the Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley. En route to the final, he had edged out Stephen Hendry, Stephen Maguire and Ken Doherty, all on a 6-5 scoreline (and, in the first two cases, having been 5-3 behind). In the final against Stephen Lee, after leading 5-3 at the break Selby took control and reeled off five consecutive frames (eight-in-a-row overall from 2-3 behind) to win convincingly 10-3. Selby's play in the final was of the highest standard, with four century breaks and two consecutive tons to cross the winning line. His final-frame effort, a total clearance of 141, equalled the tournament's highest break and was Selby's best in competitive play.
On 17 February 2008, he won a close-fought Welsh Open final, overcoming Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-8 from 5-8 down.
However, he couldn't reproduce his Crucible success from the previous season. Despite going into the World Championships as one of the bookmakers' favourites for the title, Selby was defeated 10-8 in the first round by Mark King.
[edit] Tournament wins
[edit] Ranking Tournaments
- Welsh Open - 2008
[edit] Non Ranking Tournaments
- Masters - 2008
[edit] Pool
In July 2006, he won the WEPF World Eight-ball Championship, beating Darren Appleton 11-7 in the final at Blackpool.[10] He plays for Leicestershire County Pool Association at Club 147 in Leicester.
Selby's manager is former professional snooker player Mukesh Parmar.
[edit] Life outside snooker
He is a fan of Leicester City football club, which he has supported since childhood.[11]
He is also known to be a fan of darts, as he has played Adrian Lewis in an exhibition match and participated in BBC's 'A Leg With Bobby George' during the 2008 BDO World Championship.
Mark's girlfriend Vikki Layton, who often attends major matches, is an Irish international pool player.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Higgins beats brave Selby in epic. BBC Sport, 8 May 2007. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.
- ^ World Snooker Player Profiles. sportinglife.com. Retrieved on Dec 22, 2007.
- ^ Selby completes amazing comeback. BBC Sport, 25 April 2007. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Sizzling Selby knocks out Ebdon. BBC Sport, 30 April 2007. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Selby finally shakes off Carter. BBC Sport, 2 May 2007. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Selby pips Murphy to world final. BBC Sport, 5 May 2007. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Selby's Had His Chip. World Snooker, 5 May 2007. Retrieved on May 19, 2007.
- ^ Snooker Player Profile - Mark Selby. World Snooker. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Superb Sullivan stuns Selby. sportinglife.com. Retrieved on Dec 22, 2007.
- ^ Selby pockets world rules pool crown. UK 8 Ball Pool Community, June 17, 2006. Retrieved on May 6, 2007.
- ^ Mark Selby Picture Special, Leicester City 2007-10-04. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
[edit] External links
- Mark Selby Official Site
- Mark Selby profile at World Snooker
- BBC Leicester feature and interview
- Mark Selby on Flickr
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