Tweet
MARK Selby regained his Masters title at Wembley after a 10-9 cliffhanger against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The Rocket, who had won the title on four previous occasions was pushed all the way by Selby who refused to allow O'Sullivan to have things all his own way. No more so than in the first frame when the Leicester man managed to put together enough points without any meaningful breaks.
But then the Rocket blasted off as he he hammered in 399 points to the 41 that Selby was able to register. He levelled with the help of a 90 break and then inflicted some of the greatest punishment that Selby has endured in his professional career as he ripped through the next three frames with breaks of 86, 122 and 101 to lead 4-1. All of which left Selby scratching his head as to what had went wrong.
The simple answer is that Ronnie was having one of those spells where he is unplayable. Great credit should go to Selby for hanging on to the Rocket's coat -tails as he dug in with 83 to close to 4-2 and then fired in a clearance of 112 to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Selby though will have been kicking himself that he didn't level at 4-4 at the interval as a bad safety from Ronnie left Mark with an opportunity to make a frame winning break. Unfortunately he was only able to make 33 brfore running out of position and scurrying to what he hoped was safety. The cue ball was back in baulk but there was a red available to the top corner pocket. It was straight and as the Ronnie struck the cue ball there was never any doubt as to the destination of the red. It was straight in the heart of the pocket, and O'Sullivan presented with a chance he must have thought he wasn't going to upped the pressure on Selby with a break of 54. Yet the frame wasn't over as Ronnie missed a frame ball pink which left Mark with a chance to steal it on the colours. The yellow was from distance, and Selby's twitch when cueing it was enought for it to miss the pocket and roll into an easy position for Ronnie. This time there was no mistake as the Rocket cleared to the pink to wrap up a 5-3 lead at the interval.
Selby must have been furious at letting two chances slip though his fingers and resumed hell bent on setting the record straight. He took the opener, and should have levelled at 5-5 but missed a red down the cushion with the rest and Ronnie needed no second invitation to stretch his lead to 6-4 with the help of a 92 break.
But Mark refused to be intimidated and with the help of a magnificent 137 break closed the gap to 6-5. So with one frame to play before the interval Selby could either level at 6-6 or be 7-5 down.
And he was to fall two frames adrift as yet again he failed to capitalise on an opportunity when well placed among the balls lost position and could only make 37. O'Sullivan countered with 49 which left one red and all the colours on the table.
O'Sullivan is blessed with amazing natural talent but he, like anyone else still needs a bit of luck at times- and he got it when he fluked a snooker on the final red. Selby managed to hit the red - but all he succeeded in doing was leaving the red in line to the centre pocket. As Ronnie stepped up to sink the red and clear the colours up to the brown it left Mark needing snookers. He was unable to get them and at the interval the score read O'Sullivan 7-5 Selby.
Resuming Selby closed the gap to 7-6, only for Ronnie to re-establish his two frame buffer with breaks of 41 and 90. Selby badly needed the fifteenth frame but a thinly caught safety brought a red from out of the the baulk end towards the top corner pocket that Ronnie promptly nailed, with the pink following into the centre pocket the Rocket looked set fair for another frame winning break- and so it proved when a 91 break . Leading 9-6 the Rocket needed just one frame to retain his title.
And it looked as if Ronnie would waste little time in finishing Mark off. As Selby failed again to capitalise on a chance he left Ronnie with a chance. Confidently dispatching the red the Rocket was to falter on 25 with a misjudged safety. It was now or never for Mark and sinking red to centre cleared up with 62 to cut the deficit to 9-7. Encouraged the Leciester man claimed the seventeenth frame with a break of 107 when Ronnie had missed an easy red when in at close range. Ronnie was shifting nervously in his seat. His lead had plunged from 9-6 to 9-8. And the alarm bells must have been ringing.
Especially when Selby dropped in a long red and cruised through a break of 53 before missing an easy red to the top corner from close range. To oohs and ahhs from the Wembley crowd Ronnie came to the table a little surprised with Selby's slip - and then mangaged to snooker Selby behind the "yellow" corner pocket. He forced eight penalty points before the third Selby escape saw him leave a red to the centre pocket. Stunning in the red the Rocket prgressed to 28 before missing the yellow. As referee Jan Verhaas tried to calm the crowd a tense battle on the colours ensued. With the yellow sittinng on top of the black the cue ball was at the baulk end of the table close to the brown. Selby negotiated his escape but couldn't control the yellow sruising over to the top corner pocket. The coup do grace was waiting and Ronnie still couldn't apply it as he promptly threw the frame away by underhitting the green leaving Selby to clear up with 24 to send the match into a final frame shootout.
It was Groundhog Day at Wembley as they cued off for the final frame. Last year it had gone to a decider with Ronnie prevailing. Selby though was also aware of Ronnie's history for choking at Wembley. Back in 1997 Steve Davis had recovered from 4-8 to triumph 10-8. Was history about to repeat itself. You bet it was as Selby potted a long red, got position on the green and made 27 before running out of position in cutting a red into the top corner. He didn't have long to wait for a second chance as Ronnie overhit a safety and left Mark with an easy starter with the rest. There was to be no hiding place for Ronnie as Selby added 37 before missing the match ball red. But Ronnie was gone, mentally and Selby knew it. Spotting a red to centre left by the Rocket Mark rolled it in and then accepted the concession from O'Sullivan. As the time approached the witching hour it had been a spell binding match that had reached it's magical conclusion.
Suzy Jardine
The Rocket, who had won the title on four previous occasions was pushed all the way by Selby who refused to allow O'Sullivan to have things all his own way. No more so than in the first frame when the Leicester man managed to put together enough points without any meaningful breaks.
But then the Rocket blasted off as he he hammered in 399 points to the 41 that Selby was able to register. He levelled with the help of a 90 break and then inflicted some of the greatest punishment that Selby has endured in his professional career as he ripped through the next three frames with breaks of 86, 122 and 101 to lead 4-1. All of which left Selby scratching his head as to what had went wrong.
The simple answer is that Ronnie was having one of those spells where he is unplayable. Great credit should go to Selby for hanging on to the Rocket's coat -tails as he dug in with 83 to close to 4-2 and then fired in a clearance of 112 to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Selby though will have been kicking himself that he didn't level at 4-4 at the interval as a bad safety from Ronnie left Mark with an opportunity to make a frame winning break. Unfortunately he was only able to make 33 brfore running out of position and scurrying to what he hoped was safety. The cue ball was back in baulk but there was a red available to the top corner pocket. It was straight and as the Ronnie struck the cue ball there was never any doubt as to the destination of the red. It was straight in the heart of the pocket, and O'Sullivan presented with a chance he must have thought he wasn't going to upped the pressure on Selby with a break of 54. Yet the frame wasn't over as Ronnie missed a frame ball pink which left Mark with a chance to steal it on the colours. The yellow was from distance, and Selby's twitch when cueing it was enought for it to miss the pocket and roll into an easy position for Ronnie. This time there was no mistake as the Rocket cleared to the pink to wrap up a 5-3 lead at the interval.
Selby must have been furious at letting two chances slip though his fingers and resumed hell bent on setting the record straight. He took the opener, and should have levelled at 5-5 but missed a red down the cushion with the rest and Ronnie needed no second invitation to stretch his lead to 6-4 with the help of a 92 break.
But Mark refused to be intimidated and with the help of a magnificent 137 break closed the gap to 6-5. So with one frame to play before the interval Selby could either level at 6-6 or be 7-5 down.
And he was to fall two frames adrift as yet again he failed to capitalise on an opportunity when well placed among the balls lost position and could only make 37. O'Sullivan countered with 49 which left one red and all the colours on the table.
O'Sullivan is blessed with amazing natural talent but he, like anyone else still needs a bit of luck at times- and he got it when he fluked a snooker on the final red. Selby managed to hit the red - but all he succeeded in doing was leaving the red in line to the centre pocket. As Ronnie stepped up to sink the red and clear the colours up to the brown it left Mark needing snookers. He was unable to get them and at the interval the score read O'Sullivan 7-5 Selby.
Resuming Selby closed the gap to 7-6, only for Ronnie to re-establish his two frame buffer with breaks of 41 and 90. Selby badly needed the fifteenth frame but a thinly caught safety brought a red from out of the the baulk end towards the top corner pocket that Ronnie promptly nailed, with the pink following into the centre pocket the Rocket looked set fair for another frame winning break- and so it proved when a 91 break . Leading 9-6 the Rocket needed just one frame to retain his title.
And it looked as if Ronnie would waste little time in finishing Mark off. As Selby failed again to capitalise on a chance he left Ronnie with a chance. Confidently dispatching the red the Rocket was to falter on 25 with a misjudged safety. It was now or never for Mark and sinking red to centre cleared up with 62 to cut the deficit to 9-7. Encouraged the Leciester man claimed the seventeenth frame with a break of 107 when Ronnie had missed an easy red when in at close range. Ronnie was shifting nervously in his seat. His lead had plunged from 9-6 to 9-8. And the alarm bells must have been ringing.
Especially when Selby dropped in a long red and cruised through a break of 53 before missing an easy red to the top corner from close range. To oohs and ahhs from the Wembley crowd Ronnie came to the table a little surprised with Selby's slip - and then mangaged to snooker Selby behind the "yellow" corner pocket. He forced eight penalty points before the third Selby escape saw him leave a red to the centre pocket. Stunning in the red the Rocket prgressed to 28 before missing the yellow. As referee Jan Verhaas tried to calm the crowd a tense battle on the colours ensued. With the yellow sittinng on top of the black the cue ball was at the baulk end of the table close to the brown. Selby negotiated his escape but couldn't control the yellow sruising over to the top corner pocket. The coup do grace was waiting and Ronnie still couldn't apply it as he promptly threw the frame away by underhitting the green leaving Selby to clear up with 24 to send the match into a final frame shootout.
It was Groundhog Day at Wembley as they cued off for the final frame. Last year it had gone to a decider with Ronnie prevailing. Selby though was also aware of Ronnie's history for choking at Wembley. Back in 1997 Steve Davis had recovered from 4-8 to triumph 10-8. Was history about to repeat itself. You bet it was as Selby potted a long red, got position on the green and made 27 before running out of position in cutting a red into the top corner. He didn't have long to wait for a second chance as Ronnie overhit a safety and left Mark with an easy starter with the rest. There was to be no hiding place for Ronnie as Selby added 37 before missing the match ball red. But Ronnie was gone, mentally and Selby knew it. Spotting a red to centre left by the Rocket Mark rolled it in and then accepted the concession from O'Sullivan. As the time approached the witching hour it had been a spell binding match that had reached it's magical conclusion.
Suzy Jardine
Comment