selby

Player Profile

Mark Selby

Born:	19 June 1983. Leicester, England
Turned Prtofessional:	1997
Highest Break:	147 2009 Jiangsu Classic)
Career Centuries	198 (to end of 2010/11 season)
Highest Ranking	1st (Sept 2011)

Mark Selby first came to be noticed when he won the English Under-15 title in 1998. A good consistent season on the Challenge Tour followed and he achieved a place on the Main Tour for the 1999/2000 season.

He reached the last 64 in three of the nine events that first season, was ranked 122nd and assured himself of keeping his place on the tour. The next season saw a modest improvement and he made it to the last 48 for the first time in the China Open ending the season in 95th place.

Things began to move for Mark in 2001/02 when he again qualified for the final stages of the China Open. This time he got past the local wild card and then put out Joe Swail to reach the last 16 for the first time, but he was not finished yet. He then beat Stephen Hendry and, to prove this was no fluke, put out Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter finals before eventually losing to Anthony Hamilton in the semis. He also reached the final qualifying round of the world championship and his ranking leapt up to 56th.

In the following season he had already reached the last 32 of three events before reaching the final stages of the Scottish Open where he defeated Paul Hunter, Matthew Stevens, Ali Carter and Ken Doherty to reach his first ranking final. David Gray finally overcame him but, despite again failing in the final qualifying round of the world championships, he was assured of a place in the top 32 after just four seasons on the tour. Sadly he could not consolidate his position in 2003/04, only winning two matches in the eight ranking events and he dropped straight back out of the top 32, down to 36th.

Even though he made it to the quarter finals of the Totesport Grand Prix in 2004, his poor results from the previous season meant that he dropped down a further three places. In 2005/6 he was consistent if not spectacular and reached the last 16 of the world championship, which was enough to take him back into the top 32 at number 28.

Four finishes in the last sixteen in 2006/7 pushed him up the rankings and then, when he reached the final of the world championship at the Crucible, losing out 13-18 to John Higgins, he jumped into the top 16 at number 11. The following season he went from strength to strength. The semi final of the UK was followed by winning the prestigious SAGA Insurance Masters and then the Welsh Open gave him his first ranking title. He finished the season an impressive 4th in the rankings.

Over the next couple of seasons he continued to reach the latter stages of the ranking events but without winning one although he did win his second Masters title in 2010. 2010/11 was another consistent season but without a major victory apart form one of the PTC events. Nevertheless by the end of that campaign he had risen to his highest ever ranking of third.

Mark has made nearly 200 centuries, a record 54 in the 2010/11 season alone, and earned well over £1m in prize money.

Career Highlights

World Professional Snooker Championship runner up	2007
Welsh Open champion	2008
Shanghai Masters champion	2011
Masters champion	2008, 2010
Wuxi Classic champion	2011
Players Tour Championship event winner	2010, 2011
Scottish Open runner up	2003
Sangsom 6-Red Champion	2010
Masters Qualifying Tournament runner up	2006
FSTC Warsaw Snooke Challenge champion	2007
English Under-15 champion	1998