Mark Selby secured his first British Open title on Sunday, defeating fellow four-time world champion John Higgins 10-5 in the final held in Cheltenham. Selby, ranked world number five, claimed his 23rd career ranking title, his first since winning the WST Classic in March 2023. The victory came in Selby’s first major final since last year’s British Open, where he lost to Mark Williams.
The final was a fitting tribute to the late Clive Everton, the legendary snooker broadcaster and journalist, after whom the British Open trophy was named in 2022. Everton passed away earlier in the week at the age of 87.
Selby led 5-3 after the opening session, showcasing high-quality snooker with breaks of at least 60 in all eight frames, including three centuries. His 137 break in the sixth frame was a highlight, followed by a 135 to end the session strong. Though Higgins fought back in the evening session by winning the first frame, Selby closed out the match by taking five of the next six frames, finishing with impressive runs of 91 and 93.
Higgins, playing in his first ranking final since April 2022, will move back up to 14th in the world rankings, just a week after dropping out of the top 16 for the first time since 1995.
