Dafabet Masters - The Final: Mark Selby v Ronnie O'Sullivan

One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

I'm up to 7-7 in the 2009 final from 4-4. Selby was playing great to get to 7-5 at the MSI, then a key frame was at 7-6. Selby made a good 50 odd and the lay of the balls were favourable but somehow thanks in part to a remarkable slice of luck in escaping from a tough snooker when 42 down with 43 left Ronnie stole it to level. And now a stunning century from Ronnie for 8-7.

It was the year he won using a cue he picked up on the first day the tournament began, and the commentators are talking about "talk of snooker dying" and pointing out that there's a good crowd in. The days of paranoia, of people thinking snooker needed changing. Remember that? Pre-Hearn.

Selby I think is the only player that O'Sullivan is actually considerably wary of when playing, other than Higgins. Any of the other six in the top half and O'Sullivan would be very very confident going into the final given how he's sliced through the field to get here but he has considerable scores to settle. It's over four years since O'Sullivan won a match of over best of seven frames against Selby (9-3 in the 2009 UK Quarter-Finals) , And if you'd have picked one player Ronnie would have wanted to avoid in the final, it would have been Selby. He's the player who can get under Ronnie's skin and Mark knows that.

Selby on the other hand is going to be under pressure. Looking to become the fourth player to defend the trophy, and will be desperate to win a fourth Masters. How much will York have affected him though? He's shown for the first time a commanding lead isn't impregnable for him and if he gets several in front i.e. 4-1 or 5-2 and O'Sulivan begins to close the gap, he will get nervous.


The 1st Masters went to a Decider, 11 of the previous 39 Finals have been decided on the last frame, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was the case here. Selby has shown he can keep on top of Ronnie which he will need to do so as O'Sullivan has ran riot in Finals when having the opportunity

Something tells me Selby will sneak it, perhaps on the colours in the decider. I said on Thursday night, having got out of jail that was the moment the Masters was won.

If this does prove to be their final finale. Then I think we're in for a cracker.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

John Higgins

Andre147 PGC wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One thing is for certain, I won't get carried away should Ronnie get a good lead. I have seen it all before.

Exactly, me too. Take it one frame at a time and not get carried away.

Unless he leads something like 9-2 Even the great comeback Selby wouldn't be able to comeback from such a deficit.

Of course we all know such a deficit will never happen in a million years at this Final.

I think even for a Mark Selby 6 frames in a row would be too much. He's won the last 5 plenty of times before but not 6 I think.

So we are allowed to get carried away if it goes 9-4

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

Between Ronnie and Selby? Or all players in snooker history?

For the first one, Ronnie, overall definately Hendry in his prime.

Sonny wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

John Higgins

You would be dead then because Higgins couldn't get over the line having at least 6 great chance last Thursday

No SO, a Higgins at his prime would clear up under the most pressure. I don't think you were refering to this tourney or were you?

I said Hendry though given the sheer amount of titles he's won and he thrived on pressure situations too.

Andre147 PGC wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

Between Ronnie and Selby? Or all players in snooker history?

For the first one, Ronnie, overall definately Hendry in his prime.

I meant between Ronnie and Selby.

(But I would also pick a peak Hendry if I could choose overall. He was great at that even way past his prime.)

PLtheRef wrote:Selby I think is the only player that O'Sullivan is actually considerably wary of when playing, other than Higgins. Any of the other six in the top half and O'Sullivan would be very very confident going into the final given how he's sliced through the field to get here but he has considerable scores to settle. It's over four years since O'Sullivan won a match of over best of seven frames against Selby (9-3 in the 2009 UK Quarter-Finals) , And if you'd have picked one player Ronnie would have wanted to avoid in the final, it would have been Selby. He's the player who can get under Ronnie's skin and Mark knows that.

Selby on the other hand is going to be under pressure. Looking to become the fourth player to defend the trophy, and will be desperate to win a fourth Masters. How much will York have affected him though? He's shown for the first time a commanding lead isn't impregnable for him and if he gets several in front i.e. 4-1 or 5-2 and O'Sulivan begins to close the gap, he will get nervous.


The 1st Masters went to a Decider, 11 of the previous 39 Finals have been decided on the last frame, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was the case here. Selby has shown he can keep on top of Ronnie which he will need to do so as O'Sullivan has ran riot in Finals when having the opportunity

Something tells me Selby will sneak it, perhaps on the colours in the decider. I said on Thursday night, having got out of jail that was the moment the Masters was won.

If this does prove to be their final finale. Then I think we're in for a cracker.

I'm not one to believe in things like this, but it almost feel like fate when Selby won the decider from 57-0 down. Higgins kicked at just the right time; Higgins missing that snooker behind the green all those times and the two yellows, especially the last one, which just went in. Never seen a ball rattle that much and go in.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

Well in their last meeting, one of them missed a black off the spot in the decider and that was only a PTC. Draw your own conclusions.

Yeah Skull that yeallow must have rattled easily 7 or 8 times but still went it.

I somehow too had the feeling Selby was gonna win after 57-0 to Higgins, though I had some doubts about that blue double, but he potted it superbly.

Andre147 PGC wrote:No SO, a Higgins at his prime would clear up under the most pressure. I don't think you were refering to this tourney or were you?

I said Hendry though given the sheer amount of titles he's won and he thrived on pressure situations too.

It was a joke

I have to admit there was a little bit of schadenfreude seeing the king of the pressure situations, bottling it the way he did against Selby.

Andre147 PGC wrote:Yeah Skull that yeallow must have rattled easily 7 or 8 times but still went it.

I somehow too had the feeling Selby was gonna win after 57-0 to Higgins, though I had some doubts about that blue double, but he potted it superbly.

He doubled match ball in 2010 as well, didn't he?

Skullman wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:Yeah Skull that yeallow must have rattled easily 7 or 8 times but still went it.

I somehow too had the feeling Selby was gonna win after 57-0 to Higgins, though I had some doubts about that blue double, but he potted it superbly.

He doubled match ball in 2010 as well, didn't he?

Yeah, Dennis saying "It's right in the middle of the pocket" and Ronnie's expression of disbelief in the background.... Priceless, although at the time I too had a similar expression to his.

Andre147 PGC wrote:

Skullman wrote:

Andre147 PGC wrote:Yeah Skull that yeallow must have rattled easily 7 or 8 times but still went it.

I somehow too had the feeling Selby was gonna win after 57-0 to Higgins, though I had some doubts about that blue double, but he potted it superbly.

He doubled match ball in 2010 as well, didn't he?

Yeah, Dennis saying "It's right in the middle of the pocket" and Ronnie's expression of disbelief in the background.... Priceless, although at the time I too had a similar expression to his.

There's nothing greater or worse than winning/losing a final by seeing a double fly in. A double is never a certainty and I didn't think Selby could pull it off, so that one in particular was like stab in the guts.

But strangely, it's another shot I have associated the most with Ronnie's defeat in 2010. It's that fine green he tried to cut in at 9-8. If that had gone in Ronnie would have won 10-8 no doubt.

Wow already 3 pages here in this thread and it's not even Sunday morning

Guys guys guys... can we stop talking about that match please We gotta be positive.

But that green SO Ronnie should never have attempted to pot that. He was playing with screw and check side to hold the cue ball for the brown, it was such a thin cut, playing left handed under the most pressure.

I really think he should have played safe, ok had he got it we would be saying it was one of his best shots ever but a shot like that like Dennis rightly said at the time "Was asking a lot, was asking a bit too much" and I agree with him.

Blavdes wrote:Guys guys guys... can we stop talking about that match please We gotta be positive.

Not quite yet

This is the 2010 Masters Final thread here on Snooker Island.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=286

A lot has changed since then around here...

Blavdes wrote:Guys guys guys... can we stop talking about that match please We gotta be positive.

Yeah you're right, but a Final between these 2 at the Masters inevitably brings back those memories, unfortunately...

The 2009 Final though is another matter

Yes the left-handed green cost him, and in the Welsh final he went for a double he shouldn't have which cost him the match as well.

In the 2009 final I'm up to 8-8, Selby made a good high break to level at 8-8, got in first in the next and on 40 odd took his eye off a thin blue going into reds which had it dropped would've left frame on a plate for 9-8. Selby would've won in 2009 had a couple of things gone his way which didn't.

There's no point going into the ifs and buts, that's snooker isn't it?

Andre147 PGC wrote:

Blavdes wrote:Guys guys guys... can we stop talking about that match please We gotta be positive.

Yeah you're right, but a Final between these 2 at the Masters inevitably brings back those memories, unfortunately...

The 2009 Final though is another matter

Yes, I remember that match very fondly. I couldn't believe how Ronnie won that frame to lead 9-8, that was the crucial frame of the match.

Selby missed a long pressure blue, the only ball he needed to win the frame. The blue just went in a pottable position and Ronnie rolled it in the right middle pocket with the white being tight on the cushion. That shot won Ronnie the title.

2009 final update - at 8-8 Selby was 33 up 43 on, potted a good thin red to middle then turned down a dead cert longish yellow to go 36 up in favour of a cut back brown to green pocket with extended rest. He over cut and left the brown in the jaws and landed on the red with an easy black to follow. So that would've been 9-8. That's where he lost the final anyway by the looks of it.

And yes Overdrive, that's what happened later on, the long blue when 17 up and just left it to pass the pink to middle.

2009 final update. 9-8 to Ronnie and two re-racks in a row. Good banter between the players on the second one which started by Selby catching a red too thin with swerve and white landing tight in the middle of the pack. The re-racks were part of legend after the match with some (idiots) claiming Selby played for them but the reality is once the situation developed he was quick both times to offer the re-rack.

2009 final update - Ronnie wins. In the last frame Selby missed two long reds hitting the white far too hard which is something he wouldn't do now. First time Ronnie made 16, second time Ronnie won the match including a good black along the cushion which pretty much sealed it.

Ronnie says winning with a new cue is his best achievement in snooker and admitted he was restricted on certain shots because of the way it played and that he wouldn't be using it again.

Sonny wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:One question:

who do you guys think is more likely to pull off a frame/match winning clearance under the biggest pressure possible? I know Selby has won all deciding frames but I'm talking about the scenario being 66 points behind at 9-9 to clear in one visit, who would you pick if your life depended on it?

John Higgins

used to not any more.


you are living in the past mate.

Who said I was answering the question "currently, who best to clear up for your life?"

I went and watched 2010 final from 9-6 instead of going to bed. I'm recapped up for part 3 but it's 3am. Careless.

I have to go for a Selby win. I think he's tougher now, more experienced than in the first two finals and he's turned a corner in terms of sorting his mental game out and he's starting to look really good and capable of near perfect snooker.

Ronnie is as well obviously but no disrespect to Ricky Walden because Ronnie was flawless and pretty much unplayable, but Selby would've won heavily against Walden as well. Ronnie was more patchy against Maguire but then again he didn't have to raise his game.

I don't think having Steve Peters in his corner would've made any difference to the way the 2010 final played out and consequently I don't think the fact he's now got Peters in his corner will suddenly make it easier for Ronnie to play Selby.

For a few years Selby's path was blocked by Higgins and O'Sullivan with both stopping him winning some early majors in his career. He's seen to Higgins this week and if he wins tomorrow it will be significant in terms of a change of the guard. Ok Selby still needs to win a world title to satisfy some, but he is the player over all others who takes the game to and gets results out of Higgins and O'Sullivan.

If Selby wins tomorrow he takes one serious step on the path to World glory.

Ok one step at a time.

Now, one more whiskey before bed.

Sonny wrote:Who said I was answering the question "currently, who best to clear up for your life?"

I went and watched 2010 final from 9-6 instead of going to bed. I'm recapped up for part 3 but it's 3am. Careless.

I have to go for a Selby win. I think he's tougher now, more experienced than in the first two finals and he's turned a corner in terms of sorting his mental game out and he's starting to look really good and capable of near perfect snooker.

Ronnie is as well obviously but no disrespect to Ricky Walden because Ronnie was flawless and pretty much unplayable, but Selby would've won heavily against Walden as well. Ronnie was more patchy against Maguire but then again he didn't have to raise his game.

I don't think having Steve Peters in his corner would've made any difference to the way the 2010 final played out and consequently I don't think the fact he's now got Peters in his corner will suddenly make it easier for Ronnie to play Selby.

For a few years Selby's path was blocked by Higgins and O'Sullivan with both stopping him winning some early majors in his career. He's seen to Higgins this week and if he wins tomorrow it will be significant in terms of a change of the guard. Ok Selby still needs to win a world title to satisfy some, but he is the player over all others who takes the game to and gets results out of Higgins and O'Sullivan.

If Selby wins tomorrow he takes one serious step on the path to World glory.

Ok one step at a time.

Now, one more whiskey before bed.

Scottish whiskey you,re drinking Sonny?.





Come on Mark!!.