Snooker China Open: Selby Beats Sangkham 10-6 to Win Title, Rises to Fifth in Rankings, Earns 2.28 Million Yuan Prize

On August 16, Beijing time, the Snooker China Open final ended, with four-time world champion Mark Selby using a powerful six-frame surge to beat the strongest underdog, Sangkham, 10-6, and claim the championship. This victory marks Selby's 26th ranking title in his career. Additionally, he earned a prize of £250,000, equivalent to 2.28 million yuan, boosting his world ranking to fifth, making him the biggest winner of the event.

As a snooker superstar, Selby has the most World Championship titles among players born in the 1980s, and his attacking and defensive skills are now exceptionally strong. In this tournament, he performed at his peak, crushing opponents with big margins in every match. He successively eliminated three world champions—Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, and Stuart Bingham—to reach the final. On the other hand, Sangkham, a relatively unknown player, turned into a super dark horse, becoming a giant killer. He also took down three world champions—Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Shaun Murphy—and narrowly escaped defeat in the semifinals, hitting a century break in the deciding frame to beat Zhou Yuelong 6-5 and advance to the final. Such a run can truly be called a miracle!

At the start of the match, Sangkham gradually built points with precise play, taking the first frame 67-8. Selby responded in a scrappy frame, grinding out an 89-38 win to level the score. In the third frame, Selby exploded with a 138-point break, going 2-1 ahead. At that point, Sangkham suddenly found his rhythm, winning three consecutive frames to lead 4-2. However, Selby refused to back down, using his superior ability in messy frames to produce five 50+ breaks, unleashing a six-frame winning streak to take an 8-4 lead. Under pressure in the 13th frame, Sangkham fired a 71-point break to reduce the deficit to 5-8. Unfortunately for him, in the 14th frame, despite a 68-point break, Selby staged a remarkable comeback, leaving fans frustrated. Selby then went 9-5 ahead, securing match point and effectively sealing the result. Sangkham did not give up, hitting a 61-point break to save one match point. However, in the 15th frame, during a tactical battle, Sangkham left a middle-pocket opportunity after a safety shot, and Selby capitalized with a precise pot, followed by a 57-point break to seal the victory. The final score was 10-6, and Selby successfully claimed the title, his fourth China Open championship!

From this match, it's clear that Selby played very steadily and was in scorching form. His unstoppable 6-0 surge gave him the initiative, leading to a 10-6 win. Moreover, he dominated the entire tournament, taking the title with big-margin victories, making his championship truly well-deserved. As for the super dark horse Sangkham, although he lost, earning the biggest prize money of his career—£100,000—is still an acceptable outcome.

Written by Sports Stories