Mark Selby came from five frames down to beat defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14 in Sheffield tonight to win his first World Championship.
O'Sullivan had won all of his previous five Crucible finals and looked on course for a sixth title when he took a 10-5 lead over 'The Jester from Leicester'.
However, Selby won 10 out of the next 12 frames, including five of the first six played on Monday, to move 15-12 ahead and leave 'The Rocket' trailing going into the last session of a world final for the first time.
O'Sullivan pulled the scores back to 15-14, but Selby resumed his charge for his maiden Crucible triumph by reeling off three frames in succession to secure the £300,000 winners' purse.
The result takes Triple Crown winner Selby, 30, back to the top of the world rankings and leaves O'Sullivan still two short of Stephen Hendry's record of seven World Championship victories.
Selby is only the ninth person to win a world title, Master titles and a UK Championship.
