The common link

[Odrl]

The only players to have beaten Selby in a ranking final?

Congratulations, 2 points for you! :smile:

[cantpotforshíte]

The only players to have beaten Selby in a ranking final?

[Odrl]

Potted the blue off the break?

No, it would be impossible for me to compile a list of everyone who has ever done that. :smile:

[blahblah01]

Ah, not the A Higgins question then, lol.

Potted the blue off the break?

[Odrl]

For 2 points...

Hint 3:
This is the chronological order in which the players have done the thing they have in common:

David Gray
John Higgins
Mark Williams
Judd Trump
Ding Junhui
Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson
Shaun Murphy
Ding Junhui

They are actually not all that recent, even Ding's last one is a couple of years old now. :wink:

[Odrl]

Is it losing in the final then winning the event the following year ?

Nope. :smile:

[circle]

Is it losing in the final then winning the event the following year ?

[Odrl]

Going onto win, having made a total clearance starting with a free ball (not a 155 obviously)?

No, I think the list of players who have done that would actually be much shorter. :smile:

I can tell you it's nothing as complicated as that.

[vjmehra]

Going onto win, having made a total clearance starting with a free ball (not a 155 obviously)?

[Odrl]

No, nothing to do with whitewashes.

[jrc750]

Is it whitewashed their opponent?

[Odrl]

Needing a snooker(s), and getting it before winning a Semi-Final ?

No, that's not it. It would be quite an effort to compile a list of players who have ever done that. :smile:

[circle]

Needing a snooker(s), and getting it before winning a Semi-Final ?

[Odrl]

Okay, for 3 points...

Hint 2:
The thing these seven players have in common is that they have all done something very specific in a ranking event. Ronnie O'Sullivan has never done this in a ranking event even though he's had a couple of really good chances, but he has done it in the Masters on a couple of occasions.

[Odrl]

I'm afraid not.