MARK SELBY denied Asia its first snooker world champion by beating China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 in the World Championship final Monday.

    It was the second time in three years that the Englishman had won snooker’s most important prize.

    Selby was ahead throughout in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theater but Monday’s concluding session saw Ding, who bases himself in the northern English city for much of the snooker season, close the gap to 16-14 before the 2014 champion prevailed.

    “I had a very bad start 6-0 down, I couldn’t win a frame. I was a bit nervous as I hadn’t been in a World Championship final before,” the 29-year-old Ding, who had to come through qualifying in order to reach the main draw of this year’s edition after dropping out of snooker’s top 16, told the BBC.

    Tipped to be a world champion ever since winning the U.K. Championship, snooker’s second-most important tournament as a teenager in 2005, Ding said he hoped Monday’s display would act as a springboard to eventual world title success.

    “Five years ago I was in the semifinal and this year was one step up, so maybe next year I’m going to win it,” said Ding.

    Meanwhile, a delighted Selby added: “It was a tough final and with the amount of pressure Ding is under, from China alone but to play like that. I can’t imagine how he could do that.”

    Ding, 7-10 behind overnight, won Monday’s 50-minute opening frame before taking the next on the black to cut Selby’s lead to 11-10.

    However, Selby won three of the next four frames to stay in front with a handy lead.

    The pair then exchanged centuries to leave Selby narrowly ahead.

    Breaks of 52 and 68 then assured Selby would lead going into the concluding session. Ding pulled one back to close to within two before Selby ended the session with a break of 55.

    (SD-Agencies)