Selby Stands Tall Against Trump's Late Rally to Claim UK Title
In a heart-stopping finale, four-time world champion Mark Selby withstood a thrilling comeback from Judd Trump to secure a 10-8 victory and claim his third UK Championship title. The 42-year-old Englishman, who had been on the brink of retirement just a few months ago, produced a display of resilience and skill that saw him overcome the world No 1's desperate attempts to turn the tables.
Trailing 5-0 in the opening session, Trump staged a remarkable recovery, breaking into a single-frame deficit on two occasions before closing the gap to 8-6. The Leicester man then sent shockwaves through the crowd by winning frame after frame, including two centuries – 105 and 124 – that kept his hopes alive.
However, Selby refused to buckle under pressure, producing flashes of his old form to keep Trump at bay. Despite blowing a chance to clear up for victory in the 17th frame, he recovered well and capitalized on a 69 from Trump in the next to snatch the title.
The turning point came when Trump disputed a free ball award by referee Olivier Marteel, but Selby showed his sportsmanship by accepting Trump's protest. The Englishman then scored a crucial century to regain the lead at 8-7 before sealing the win with a simple red.
Selby's victory is a testament to his mental toughness and determination after struggling with depression and personal issues that had led him to question his career. His triumph marks a triumphant return to form, and he will now look to add more major titles to his collection as he bids for his fifth world championship.
In a heart-stopping finale, four-time world champion Mark Selby withstood a thrilling comeback from Judd Trump to secure a 10-8 victory and claim his third UK Championship title. The 42-year-old Englishman, who had been on the brink of retirement just a few months ago, produced a display of resilience and skill that saw him overcome the world No 1's desperate attempts to turn the tables.
Trailing 5-0 in the opening session, Trump staged a remarkable recovery, breaking into a single-frame deficit on two occasions before closing the gap to 8-6. The Leicester man then sent shockwaves through the crowd by winning frame after frame, including two centuries – 105 and 124 – that kept his hopes alive.
However, Selby refused to buckle under pressure, producing flashes of his old form to keep Trump at bay. Despite blowing a chance to clear up for victory in the 17th frame, he recovered well and capitalized on a 69 from Trump in the next to snatch the title.
The turning point came when Trump disputed a free ball award by referee Olivier Marteel, but Selby showed his sportsmanship by accepting Trump's protest. The Englishman then scored a crucial century to regain the lead at 8-7 before sealing the win with a simple red.
Selby's victory is a testament to his mental toughness and determination after struggling with depression and personal issues that had led him to question his career. His triumph marks a triumphant return to form, and he will now look to add more major titles to his collection as he bids for his fifth world championship.
selby's comeback from being 5-0 down is insane, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time 
did you see judd trump's 105 & 124 breaks though? incredible skills on full display 
selby's mental toughness is truly inspiring especially considering he's been through depression and personal struggles 
what really stood out to me was when he accepted trumps protest about that free ball, shows a lot of class 
now that selby has won the uk title, what do you think will be his next move? 
Selby's been struggling for ages and Trump's on fire but you know what? The guy's a mental warrior 
He outlasted Trump and proved everyone wrong again 
I mean, 5-0 down to Trump is like giving up in a relationship, it's gotta be tough to bounce back from that. But Selby just won't quit... yet 
Still, can't help but wonder how much longer this guy's gonna keep going at 42 
amazing! the way he showed sportsmanship by accepting trump's protest too... class act 
i was on the edge of my seat watching this match, couldn't believe how trump had turned it around at 5-0 
anyway, congrats to selby on an amazing win and i'm loving this comeback story 
. But I think what really sealed the deal for Selby was when Trump disputed that free ball award... it's like he was trying to get in Selby's head 
. And I'm still wondering, what really happened with those depression struggles? Was it all just a publicity stunt? 
That comeback from Trump was insane, I didn't think anyone could come back from 5-0 down, but Trump gave it his all and made it so intense 
. and that's not all, he showed so much class by accepting trump's protest and refusing to get into a feud 
. this win is gonna be a major confidence booster for him and i cant wait to see what's next! 
. I'm not saying it'll be an easy road to the next title, but if anyone can do it, it's Selby 
.
. He's had a great run, no doubt about it, but he couldn't quite close out the match when it mattered most 
. Can't fault Selby for that, though - he earned every bit of that victory 
.
. Also, love that Selby showed class and sportsmanship after that disputed free ball call 
. It's clear he still has what it takes to be world champ 
!
just read about Mark Selby winning the UK Championship title after coming back from 5-0 down against Judd Trump... meanwhile in other news, a massive storm is bearing down on the east coast of the US 
expected to cause widespread flooding and power outages... and don't even get me started on the climate crisis 
it's like we're not learning from our mistakes... anyway, on a more positive note (not really), Selby's win shows us that even at 42, you can still come back strong