Mark Selby said he is determined to enjoy the occasion when he meets John Higgins in the final of the Unibet British Open on Sunday, having beaten Mark Allen 6-3 in the semi-finals in Cheltenham.
Selby has been through tough times on and off the table over the past three years. He has struggled with his mental health, and wife Vikki was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, though thankfully she is now recovering. On the baize, his form slumped at the end of last season and he admitted he was considering retirement.
To play fellow all-time great Higgins in the final is a significant moment for Selby, particularly as he has not won a ranking title since the 2023 WST Classic, 18 months ago. But his attitude this season is to keep the game in the right context.
"I could wake up tomorrow and feel low, but while I am doing ok and things are good, I am trying to enjoy every day," he said tonight after a fine win over world number three Allen. "That is my biggest challenge now, my only goal is to enjoy it. Obviously if I lose tomorrow I'll be disappointed. But with everything I have been through, including Vikki's illness, I look at the bigger picture and realise that snooker is just a game."
The 41-year-old from Leicester is into his 35th ranking event final and aiming for his 23rd title. It's his second consecutive final in Cheltenham as he lost 10-7 to Mark Williams a year ago. Success tomorrow would earn him £100,000 and move him one place up the world rankings to fourth. Selby and Higgins, with four world titles apiece and 53 ranking titles between them, will battle over a possible 19 frames for the Clive Everton Trophy.
Selby took the first three frames tonight with a top break of 105, and might have added the fourth but missed the blue to a baulk corner on 45 and Allen later made a 62 clearance to pull one back. In the fifth, Allen was on 47 when he missed the pink, and that eventually cost him the frame as Selby extended his advantage to 4-1.
Runs of 50 and 130 saw Northern Ireland's Allen recover to 4-3, but in the eighth he ran out of position on 36 and Selby punished him with a 95. Again in frame nine Allen had first chance, but on 50 he went for a risky plant on a red to a top corner and missed the target, leaving the balls well-placed for Selby to make a match-winning 77 clearance.
Selby added: "It's a huge win because it has been a long time since I have been to a final. Mark is one of the form guys of the last two seasons and one of the toughest match players. I have been more positive in my game over the last few weeks. I have practised harder so my timing is good, and also travelled around playing the likes of David Gilbert and Michael Holt to get match sharp. That has shown this week.
"John and I will be battling out there tomorrow, giving it everything. I have so much time for him, every time I see him we have a laugh and get on well. He's one of the best I have ever seen and played against, and he has obviously played well to get to the final."
Allen said: "Mark started well, he froze me out. It was a match that got away from me. The areas where Mark usually outplays people, I matched him and created a lot of chances. So it's frustrating because I just didn't take them, I broke down too many times on 40 or 50. You can't afford to do that against him, I didn't make him work hard enough. On another day I wouldn't have made those silly errors and won 6-2 or 6-3. I will take positives because I probably did better against Mark on the safety side than I have ever done. One or two shots could have made a difference. I feel my game is in good enough shape and I'm looking forward to the next tournament."
