Selby beats Higgins in deciding frame to clinch 15th ranking title

Mark Selby won a nail-biting final against John Higgins at the Evergrande China Championship.

The 35-year-old Leicester grinder came through 10-9 against 43-year-old Scotsman Higgins to take the title and £150,000 top prize.

Selby had battled past three up-and-coming Chinese players, a player from Thailand and an Iranian on his way through to the final, where a more familiar opponent awaited him.

Higgins beat Selby in the 2007 World Championship final, before losing to the same rival in the Crucible title match a decade later, and both men knew Sunday’s match would be a tough contest.

Despite building a 5-4 lead after the first session, Higgins could not pull away from Selby and the players were never further than a frame apart in the evening.

Higgins moved 9-8 ahead but Selby forced a decider and then edged over the winning line to secure his 15th ranking title.

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