Mark Selby

 D.O.B. 19 Jun 1983




Lives Leicester



Last 5 Seasons7-11-28-39-36



Turned Pro 1999



Ranking Tournament Victories One - Welsh Open 2008



Last season World Snooker Tour prize money

£248,060



Highest Tournament Break 147 - Jiangsu Classic 2009

After a shaky start to the 2009/10 season, Selby gathered momentum and unquestionably kept up his reputation as a leading contender for the major titles…and a man for the big occasion.

First round defeats in the Roewe Shanghai Masters and Grand Prix saw him slip to the fringes of the top 16 in the provisional rankings, but he regained some confidence at the Pukka Pies UK Championship with a run to the quarter-finals, notably with a 9-8 victory over Jamie Cope from 8-4 down.

That confidence came into full bloom at the Pokerstars.com Masters as Selby continued his love affair with Wembley Arena by winning the title; he has now won 11 of the 12 matches he has contested at the famous venue.

Victories over Ding Junhui, Mark Allen and Stephen Maguire put him into the final, but he looked as if he would have to settle for being runner-up to Ronnie O’Sullivan for the second consecutive year when he trailed 9-6. However, the player nicknamed the Leicester Jester had the last laugh with a brilliant comeback to win 10-9, his renowned gritty matchplay and calmness under pressure coming to the fore.

"It was like playing in the lion's den,” said Selby after winning his second Masters crown. “Ronnie is one of the best players ever, to beat him in any tournament is a great achievement, so to beat him in his own back yard in such a big event in unbelievable. With the one-table set here, every match is like a final. All eyes are on you, and that helps me to raise my game.”

Selby was in with a chance of doing a rare double when he got to the semi-finals of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship thanks to wins over Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry and O’Sullivan. But Graeme Dott ended his bid for Crucible glory, as Selby went down 17-14.

The 2007/08 season was one in which Selby made the leap from potential to prizes.

At the Masters he won his first three games 6-5 – against Stephen Hendry, Stephen Maguire and Ken Doherty – becoming the first player ever to reach the final at Wembley by winning three matches in final frame deciders. From that point is was plain sailing for Selby as he hammered Stephen Lee 10-3 in the final to land snooker’s most prestigious invitation title.

Then at the Welsh Open at the Newport Centre, Selby’s victims on his way to the final were Dave Harold, Doherty, John Higgins and Stephen Hendry.

He looked likely to come up short of his first ranking title when he trailed O’Sullivan 8-5, but he made a brilliant comeback to win the last four frames. "I thought I had no chance at 8-5, even if you give Ronnie a one-frame lead he usually steam-rollers you," he said. "I just tried to feed myself some positive vibes and think back to matches I have won in the past. Strangely, I felt more relaxed the longer the game went on. It’s something special to win my first ranking title.”

Selby got to the Crucible final in 2007 with wins over Stephen Lee, Peter Ebdon, Ali Carter and a surprise 17-16 defeat of Shaun Murphy in the semi-finals, after trailing 5-1 and 16-14. "To be in the final here is a dream," he said. "I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid. I feel like I’m asleep and haven’t woken up yet."

Into the final against John Higgins and Selby looked in danger off an emphatic defeat at 12-4 down overnight. He boldly fought back to 12-10 and trailed by just one frame at 14-13, but Higgins showed the mark of a champion to pull away and win the last four frames.

The Leicester City fan’s first ranking final was the 2003 Scottish Open at the Royal Highland Centre on the outskirts of Edinburgh, where he went down 9-7 to David Gray.

His first breakthrough came at the 2002 China Open in Shanghai when, aged just 18, he beat Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan to reach the semi-finals before losing to Anthony Hamilton.

Selby proved in 2006 that he also has a knack for pool as he won the World 8-Ball Championship, staged in Blackpool, beating Darren Appleton 11-7 in the final. He lives with girlfriend Vikki, a pool player on the ladies circuit.

A keen darts fan, Selby has beaten Eric Bristow in an exhibition. He is a friend of Leicester band Kasabian, with bassist Chris Edwards a close pal since their teenage years