2017 World Championship - Main Event

[Guy3103]

He doesn't play to please, nor to impress. He just plays to win. As Ronnie just tweeted, that's the way you should play if you want to win pro events. He is hard too watch, but to think of how many doubters he must have had along the way, and how he has proven them all wrong. Also given the fact that he is not as talented (technique wise) like some of the others... deserves sheer admiration. Well done Mark, a true champion!

[mikeyd100]

Well done Mr Selby.
I wonder how many more World titles he can bag.
He is still young, I can see him getting 6.

[s.h442]

Well done to Mark Selby on winning his third World title.His matchplay again was outstanding.

[JimMalone]

He doesn't play to please, nor to impress.

He maybe doesn't play to impress. But I for my part have to say that he is the player that impresses me the most.

[kibo]

Both players regularly gave respect to each other for good shots throughout the entire match,
which is nice

[Odrl]

After what happened in the afternoon I honestly didn't expect a midnight finish tonight, but I'm glad we got it in the end. It was similar to the infamous 2006 final in a way, three sessions of fairly unremarkable snooker, then a final session that redeemed the entire match. Credit to Higgins for still having the belief to come back into the match from 16-12 down. If he had won tonight, I'm sure that red to the middle he potted in the 29th frame would have been remembered as one of the greatest shots ever played at the Crucible. :smile:

What can you say about Mark Selby after yet another major success? I often say about O'Sullivan that he can sometimes beat opponents with his reputation alone, and I think we are now seeing that with Selby as well, although in a slightly different way. The guy was 10-5 down against O'Sullivan in 2014, he was 10-4 down against Higgins yesterday, but finishing only 10-7 behind kind of felt like a victory both times, and it put his opponents under pressure on the second day, simply because of all the comebacks he had made in the past in similar situations. Higgins going further ahead might have changed the outcome here, although there is no guarantee that Selby wouldn't have come back anyway, because his fighting spirit is just unrivalled. And so is his composure under pressure, to finish the match with two big breaks after the way he lost frame 31 was just superb. Apart from O'Sullivan and Higgins, there have been a couple of players who have had short spells of great success in the last eight years or so, certainly Robertson in 2010 and Ding in 2014 could have realistically been called the best players in the world at the time, but I think Mark Selby is the first player since O'Sullivan and Higgins who has managed to reach that extra level. His season in numbers was similar to Ding's in 2013/2014, with four major ranking titles and another minor one, but the difference is that Selby's titles include the three biggest ranking events of the season, which means his domination rivals that of Mark Williams in 2003. And the list of players he beat to win these titles includes some of the greatest players of all time, so you can't say he hasn't earned them...

That's it for the World Championship then... I guess it wasn't among the most memorable ones, but it still had a couple of very enjoyable matches. Ding in particular was involved in a couple of good ones, against Selby most of all, but also against Liang and O'Sullivan. Apart from that, Higgins-Allen was a nice early highlight as well. :smile:

I won't spoil this occasion by talking about all the things I disliked about this season, I'm sure there will be a better opportunity for that. In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings. :smile:

[Charmer]

So pleased for Mark. I picked him as the winner five days into the torrnament. Mark played the best snooker over the seventeen days. Very pleased for Mark and even more chuffed that he beat Ding and Higgins who are my two least favourite players on the circuit.

[ghost121]

Granite. The right man won but Higgins did everything he could and would have beaten most players. Back up to number 2 in the rankings in his forties. Where's the rest of them? Trump take note; being a legend in your own mind doesn't count. You have to do it on the table against the best over and over again.

[Kargetina]

As a lifelong Selby fan, he can retire tomorrow and i'll be completely content.

These last four years have been an absolute delight...beating Neil and Ronnie in 2014, Fu and Ding last year and Ding and Higgins this...i'm humbled to be a fan of this legend.

Thank you Mark!

[Charmer]

Granite. The right man won but Higgins did everything he could and would have beaten most players. Back up to number 2 in the rankings in his forties. Where's the rest of them? Trump take note; being a legend in your own mind doesn't count. You have to do it on the table against the best over and over again.

I have to agree with this. Granite sums up Mark very well. Higgins played very well but he is not as good as Mark.

[Charmer]

As a lifelong Selby fan, he can retire tomorrow and i'll be completely content.

These last four years have been an absolute delight...beating Neil and Ronnie in 2014, Fu and Ding last year and Ding and Higgins this...i'm humbled to be a fan of this legend.

Thank you Mark!

I agree with what you say here however there is no way Mark should or will retire. Beating up the likes of Higgins and O'Sullivan gives Mark such a thrill and i hope he continues to play for many a year to come.

[Dave Walton]

100% didn't hit the black, Selby was extremely lucky but he makes the most of it and is great under pressure

[jimev]

Well deserved Selby. Over the moon for him

Been a fantastic standard of tactical play in this years comp. Has been absorbing viewing as ever and from a personal point very profitable

My advice for this season is to wait until Mark goes out in the first round of a few Best of 7's of Best of 9's, let his 2018 WC odds drift out to 5-1 again then lump on

[shmeeko69]

He certainly deserves the title and never knows when he's beaten. The things which irritate me about his play
is how he seems to over analyse nearly every shot, looking up to the crowd for some sort of approval and leaving
his cue on the table once he's played the shot. If he could cut that BS out of his game I think he would become more popular
with the punters, although I don't think Selby gives a sh*t about that!

[shmeeko69]

Well deserved Selby. Over the moon for him

Been a fantastic standard of tactical play in this years comp. Has been absorbing viewing as ever and from a personal point very profitable

My advice for this season is to wait until Mark goes out in the first round of a few Best of 7's of Best of 9's, let his 2018 WC odds drift out to 5-1 again then lump on

The bookies aren't that daft and certainly not out to do you or I any favours? They know his strengths like the longer formats hence the short odds regardless of how
his form is going in to the Crucible.