Mark Selby beats John Higgins to win snooker World Championship

Mark Selby pulled off one of the most astonishing victories in a Crucible final as he landed his third Betfred World Championship title.

Mark Selby celebrates winning the Betfred Snooker World Championship. Picture: PA

When he trailed John Higgins by 10-4 on Sunday evening, Selby had looked beaten, on the scoreboard and in his cheerless demeanour, but a colossal comeback saw him roll to an 18-15 victory.

There was a moment of huge controversy late in the day, when Selby attempted to roll up behind the black and snooker Higgins, only for referee Jan Verhaas to decide the ball had run up short. He called a foul, briefly rowed back on his decision, before reinstating the original call.

Selby seemed nonplussed but gathered his composure, and victory made him just the fourth player to successfully defend a world title in Sheffield, after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan. That level of company reflects Selby’s status as a modern-day snooker great.