Mark Selby captured the 2026 China Open title after beating Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in Sunday’s last in Taiyuan.
The Englishman took management of the competition throughout the second session to finish Saengkham’s memorable giant-killing week.
It represents a fourth triumph for Selby within the China Open, which was again on the calendar this yr for the primary time since 2019.
The Jester beforehand gained the rating event in 2015, 2017, and 2018 earlier than it was taken off the annual schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless of a change of venue from Beijing to Taiyuan, it was like Selby had returned house as he dominated from the get-go in his pursuit of the £250,000 prime prize.
After beating Pang Junxu 6-3 in his opening-round fixture, Selby misplaced simply 4 extra frames en path to the ultimate.
A pair of 6-1 victories over fellow former world champions Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson had been adopted up by a 6-2 defeat of Stuart Bingham within the final 4.
Selby entered the title-deciding affair as an enormous favorite for glory towards a challenger bidding to seize his maiden skilled title.
Saengkham had already made headlines this week for very good outings towards world primary Judd Trump, all-time nice Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Crucible finalist Shaun Murphy.
The 34 year-old underperformed in a cagey semi-final win over Zhou Yuelong, however an amazing 134 clearance within the deciding body underlined his credentials as a doable champion.
It was clear that he must step up at school once more for the ultimate and hope for a dip in type from his esteemed opponent.
At first, that’s precisely what transpired as Saengkham took benefit of a sluggish begin from Selby – a terrific 138 apart – to determine a 4-2 benefit.
Nevertheless, the momentum swung after a dramatic and controversial seventh body that Selby managed to pinch on the ultimate black.
A couple of minutes earlier, there was an deadlock between the gamers and referee as a disagreement unfolded surrounding a referred to as foul towards Saengkham.
The Thai initially recovered from the distraction to pot blue and pink, however he then wobbled frame-ball black to permit Selby in for a reprieve.
The latter duly gained the eighth body as properly to finish the opening session all-square at 4-4.
It was all to play for after they returned not lengthy after for the night bout of play, however Selby used all of his expertise to step by step achieve a stronger foothold on proceedings.
Saengkham didn’t do an awesome deal improper however couldn’t make any important contributions and was left to rue a poor run of the balls, with Selby compiling runs of 58, 90, 69, and 52 to guide 8-4 on the final interval.
A gutsy 71 from Saengkham, bidding to turn out to be solely the third participant from Thailand to win a rating title, subsequently helped to finish his six-frame dropping streak.
The previous world under-21 newbie champion then seemed set to scale back the deficit additional however broke down on 68, with Selby getting the snooker he wanted earlier than clearing to maneuver to inside the brink.
Saengkham continued to combat valiantly to get one other body on the board, however Selby in the end received the tenth body he wanted after receiving a few bites on the cherry within the sixteenth body.
Success for Selby is his twenty sixth in a rating occasion and his first since capturing the UK Championship crown on the finish of 2025.
It takes him to joint-seventh on the all-time listing alongside Neil Robertson – one behind Mark Williams and simply two off the tally of Steve Davis.
The large champion’s cheque additionally rockets Selby again up the official world rankings listing into fifth.
However it may get markedly higher for the 43 year-old, who will enter the upcoming Wuhan Open as one of many favourites and with the data that one other piece of silverware there would correlate with him reclaiming the world primary spot.
That’s for later, with one of many sport’s nice champions in Selby first in a position to have fun his well timed return to the winner’s enclosure.
Featured photograph credit score: WST
