World Snooker Championship final 2021 LIVE RESULTS: Selby BEATS Murphy in epic to win £500k prize money – reaction
MARK SELBY is the World Snooker champion once again following a superb win over Shaun Murphy at the Crucible.
Leading 14-11 going into the evening session, the Jester from Leicester never took his foot off the gas to secure a brilliant 18-15 victory.
He takes home a whopping £500,000 in prize money for his troubles, while Murphy has landed himself £200k after a battling performance.
Stay up to date with all the reaction from the Crucible in our live blog, below…
- Marc Mayo
WHITE ON THE MONEY
Jimmy White has praised Shaun Murphy’s valiant efforts in the World Snooker final but felt that Mark Selby was simply too good.
He told Eurosport: “[On Sunday night] Selby won 7-2 and that’s because he was phenomenal, he was brilliant.
“He closed it down, he stopped Shaun from playing.
“[On Sunday] Shaun played great throughout but he just had that few frames deficit. There’s not a lot he’s done wrong in this final.
“He’s back now, he will win tournaments, his safety play has improved and in Selby he was playing one of the best and has got to be very proud of what he’s done.”
- Marc Mayo
HEARN FAREWELL
Last night’s final represented the last major event overseen by Barry Hearn as chairman of Matchroom Sport.
The 72-year-old, bought a defibrillator by his team as a birthday present last year, is stepping back to an advisory role as son Eddie takes over the promoters.
Steve Dawson, CEO of World Snooker Limited, will take charge of running snooker.
Hearn said last month: “It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sports people on the planet across the last 40 years.
“I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts.
“We have created opportunities for thousands of sportsmen and women during that time.”
Credit: PA - Marc Mayo
PERFECT SHOT
Mark Selby has revealed a cameraman ran into his eye line just as he set up for the winning pot last night.
The about-to-be-crowned champion had the black in his sights but had to pull away after the incident.
He recalled on Eurosport: “I was playing the black and, just as I was about to play it, in the walkway where we go out to go to the toilet, a cameraman just ran.
"He ran and just tried to get a picture, just as I'm on my backswing, so I had to get up and tell him to get out of the way.
“Then he hid around the corner! But he was still darting around the corner to try and get the perfect picture.
"I was thinking, 'That's the last thing I need'. I know you shouldn't miss the black, but it's for the world title and there is a lot of pressure. Thankfully I managed to pot it and pull myself together."
- Marc Mayo
FULL HOUSE
It was great to see the Crucible packed to the rafters again last night.
Here are some of the best shots of the crowd in Sheffield…
Credit: Getty Credit: PA Credit: Getty – Pool Credit: Getty – Pool - Marc Mayo
‘BROKE ME’
Shaun Murphy has admitted that an early lead ‘broke’ his title bid after defeat to Mark Selby.
The beaten finalist also played tribute to the fans returning to the Crucible for the epic clash.
He said: “Mark is super-granite, unfortunately for me.
“I started well but he went into super-hard mode. He broke me last night with that three-frame lead which was a tough lead to give him in a match of this calibre.
“Life has been difficult for everybody over the last 12 months but I want to say a very deep and personal thank you for every one of you who has bought a ticket over the last 17 days.
“Sport is nothing without fans and we’ve been thrilled to have everyone back and a full house tonight. It’s been very tough for me this year with the travel restrictions but you’ve brought me back.”
Credit: PA - Marc Mayo
NUMERO UNO
Mark Selby is targeting the World No1 spot after his Snooker Worlds victory.
The newly-crowned four-time champion currently sits No2, behind Judd Trump in the WST rankings.
He said: “To win it once against Ronnie O’Sullivan for the first time was a dream come true – to win it four times is something I could only have dreamed of.
“Every time you get to a world final you always try your hardest – it’s such a tough tournament to get there and you never know whether it’s going to be your last.
“My aim is to get back to world number one. You still have goals in your career. I’m going in the right direction.”
- Marc Mayo
GOOD MORNING SNOOKER FANS
What a feeling for Mark Selby to wake up to!
- supal
PICTURE BOOK
They say a picture tells a thousand words, we'll here's 4,000 for you…
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VERDICT
Mark Selby established his place among the Gods of Snooker and defied the Crucible boo-boys on a historic night for UK sport, Rob Maul reports.
As full, ear-splitting crowds returned for the first time since the Covid crisis started, the Leicester Jester swept aside swaggering Shaun Murphy 18-15 to mark a fourth Betfred World Snooker Championship.
CLICK HERE for Rob Maul's full report from The Crucible.
- supal
GLORY DAYS
Steve Davis speaking on BBC: "I don't think he'll stick on four, he's too good. His all round game is as good a John Higgins.
"I think he'll be around for a few more years yet and maybe back to that number one spot as well."
- supal
PICTURE PERFECT
Selby celebrates with wife Vikki and six-year-old daughter Sofia.
This is the winning moment.
- supal
CROWNING MOMENT
Selby lifts the trophy aloft as confetti falls and his wife Vikki watches on.
He looks very emotional and why not, he's been through some dark days in his own words and now he's back on top of the world.
- supal
CHAMP TALK
Mark Selby: "Absolutely incredible. Every time you get to a world final you always try your hardest because you never know if you're going to be there again or not.
"To win it once against O'Sullivan was a dream but to win it four times is a dream cone true.
"A few years ago I went through some dark, dark days and my family know what I was going through.
"My aim is still to get back to world number one and I'm going in the right direction."
- supal
GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT
Shaun Murphy: "He's just super granite isn't he. I've known him since he was nine years of age and he's always been the same.
"He broke me last night, A three frame lead was too much to give away.
"Life has been very difficult for everyone in the last 12 months. I want to say a very deep personal thank you to every one who has brought a ticket over the last 17 days. Sport is nothing without the fans."
- supal
THE ENDING
Let's just talk about that finish from Selby, it was tense.
He played a terrible positional shot from brown to blue and had to cut in a fine blue into the middle.
He finished low on the pink after going up and down the table and then needed to travel all round the houses to land on the black.
Seven points ahead and he still needed the black – and Selby made no mistake.
A fitting ending to a tense encounter.
- supal
THE CHAMPION!
What a reaction from Selby! He looks up to wife Vikki after clinching his fourth world title.
Brilliant stuff from The Jester. A worthy champion.
- supal
MARK SELBY WINS!
A fourth world title for Mark Selby! He's held off Shaun Murphy in a wonderful final to win 18-15.
Murphy gave it everything he had but Selby just about had his number.
Brilliant finale to 17 excellent days of snooker at The Crucible.
- supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
Red to right corner right down the cushion is… NO GOOD.
So close for Murphy, but no cigar and that could be that.
Selby is 19 points behind – this final red and clearing up the colours will win him the world title.
.Credit: Getty - supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
Selby refuses a long red and just plays a containing safety – but that's not gone to plan.
Murphy sinks a red to right middle into the heart of the pocket and it's another chance.
- supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
Oh that's gone wrong for Shaun. He tried to follow through off two cushions from the green but he's flicked the brown and not on a red.
He's 38-22 behind in this frame and just a safety shot coming up.
- supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
Selby has to just roll in a black from tight on the side cushion and that leaves a long red to keep the break going, but it wobbles in the jaws and stays there for Murphy.
38 points in front in this frame Selby, but Murphy is at the table now and a chance to counter-attack.
- supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
Mistake from Murphy. And he hasn't got away with it.
Easy red to left middle to start Selby off here.
- supal
FRAME 33: SELBY 17-15 MURPHY
What is Selby thinking right now? Is he panicking yet? At what point does Murphy start to feel the tension again? How brilliant is this atmosphere? How late is this going to finish?
So many questions to be answered and I'm afraid I don't really have any at the moment.
Murphy to break in frame 33.
.Credit: PA - supal
FRAME 32: SELBY 17-14 MURPHY
Brilliant from Murphy. He is not giving up on this.
Selby has given him a couple of chances and he's taken full advantage.
A stunning century break of 110 and the deficit is just TWO frames now.
We have a possible three more frames to play. It's now 17-15!
- supal
FRAME 32: SELBY 17-14 MURPHY
A couple of excellent recovery pots on the red with a spider and a cutback black.
Murphy needs 1 or 2 more good pots and this frame is in the bag as well.
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