Mark Selby makes history by winning a record fourth China Open title, beating Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in Taiyuan.
At 43, English snooker star Mark Selby has made history at the China Open.
Selby defeated Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in the final in Taiyuan on August 16th, becoming the first player to win the China Open four times. The victory also marked his 26th career ranking title and lifted him from ninth to fifth in the world rankings.
Selby’s China Open Journey
It was Selby’s sixth appearance in the China Open final. He had already won the event in 2015, 2017 and 2018, before the tournament was dropped from the World Snooker Tour calendar. The China Open returned this year after a seven-year absence, with Taiyuan hosting the event.
Selby has long regarded the China Open as one of snooker’s premier events. He was particularly pleased to win the title in the tournament’s first year back.
The final was close at the start. Saengkham led 4-2, but Selby levelled at 4-4 before taking control in the second session. He won four frames in a row to move 8-4 ahead and then held off a late fightback to seal the title 10-6.
Saengkham had enjoyed an impressive run to his second ranking final. The Thai player beat Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy on his way to the title match. Although he fell short against Selby, his performance moved him up 18 places to 27th in the world rankings.
After the final, Selby said he felt he had played close to his best during the week. The victory gave him another ranking title and added to a career that already includes four world titles.
A Career Driven by Love for Snooker
Born in Leicester in 1983, Selby turned professional in 1999. He won his first ranking title at the 2008 Welsh Open, where he came from behind to beat fellow Englishman Ronnie O’Sullivan. He later won the Shanghai Masters in 2011 and reached world number one for the first time.
Selby has won all three events that make up snooker’s Triple Crown: the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters. He has said he wants to add more titles before retirement, with winning at least one of the three major events in a season representing a successful campaign.
For Selby, however, motivation goes beyond trophies. He still enjoys practising and competing against a new generation of players. He has also praised the rise of young Chinese players, noting their growing strength on the professional circuit.
That connection has become part of Selby’s own China Open story. He has competed in the country for many years and has now added a fourth China Open title to his record.
His latest victory adds to a career featuring four World Championship titles, three Masters titles, three UK Championship titles and four China Open trophies. He has also spent seven seasons as world number one.
Additional reporting by Hu Jian.
If you liked this article, why not read: Why Are British Snooker Stars Choosing Hong Kong?
