‘I won for my dad’ – Mark Selby dedicates Champion of Champions snooker victory over John Higgins to late father David

Mark Selby dedicated his 6-4 win over John Higgins at the Champion of Champions to his late father David on the 23rd anniversary of his tragic death.

Selby had spoken movingly about losing his father to cancer at the age of eight on 31 October 1999 ahead of the clash with the Scottish icon in their Group 4 final in Bolton on Monday night.

The match had swung from one player to the next as both four-time world champions demonstrated some of their best matchplay snooker at the elite 16-player invitational event.

A break of 140 from Selby in the opening frame was usurped by a 141 from Higgins in the sixth frame, but further runs of 51, 64, 105 and 81 saw the world No. 4 progress with Higgins also contributing 57 and 64 in a contest in which he was always playing catch-up.

Speaking after the game, Selby acknowledged that he had been pushed to the limit by his opponent, who he had not beaten since the final of the 2018 China Championship when he eked out a 10-9 win.

He said: “I thought it was a great game. If I’d have lost I don’t think I’d have done much wrong. John’s long game was incredible. He was a class act, everything I threw at him he threw back.”

Selby wondered if he had lost out on a highest-break prize to Higgins after being edged out by a point.

“I’m not sure if there’s a highest break here,” he stated. “But I saw a little smile on John’s face when he made 141.”

Asked about the anniversary of his father’s death, something that he has previously said continues to affect him to this day, he told the interviewer that he had made sure not to have any regrets before dedicating the win to his father’s memory.

“I could feel myself getting choked up,” he said. “Because I was giving everything out there. I was thinking if I win or lose I’ll leave everything out there. I did it for him today.”

After defeating World Seniors champion Lee Walker 4-0 earlier on Monday, 39-year-old Selby said he dreaded having to play on the anniversary of his dad’s death.

The 20-time ranking event winner was only 16 when he lost his father and he admitted it was a difficult task to focus solely on the match.

“Tough day today for me,” he said. “23 years to the day when I lost my father. A tough day every day for me this one.

“When I knew I was going to be in the Champions of Champions, I knew the groups were going to be Monday to Thursday, and I was praying I just was not playing on Monday.

“But as it turns out I was so a tough day for that reason, but I am happy to be in the competition as well.”

Asked whether there was a chance he may have decided to take a step back from the tournament to pay his respects, Selby said: “I think about him every day, even though it has been 23 years, it feels like it is yesterday.

“It does not get any easier – you just have to learn to get used to it I suppose. I have coped with it okay at times and other times I have not coped with it as well. He would have wanted me to carry on playing – I am out there trying my hardest. Hopefully, I can make him proud.”

Selby could face Judd Trump or Mark Allen in the semi-finals on Friday evening as he bids to land his first major title since claiming a fourth world title in May 2021.