Snooker star Mark Selby has set his sights on the sport's most prestigious prizes after a commanding victory at the Champion of Champions tournament in his hometown of Leicester.
Home Triumph for The Jester
The 42-year-old, known as The Jester from Leicester, produced a stunning performance to defeat world number one Judd Trump 10-5 in Sunday's final. This marks Selby's first ever Champion of Champions title, earning him the trophy and a £150,000 top prize.
Selby's path to glory was challenging, seeing off Stephen Maguire, Mark Williams and Neil Robertson before facing Trump. The final showcased his exceptional form, where he made four century breaks, with three coming consecutively in the last three frames to seal the win in spectacular fashion.
Triple Crown Ambitions Reignited
Despite the significant victory, Selby immediately shifted focus to snooker's Triple Crown events - the World Championship, UK Championship and Masters. Although he has won nine Triple Crown titles throughout his career, his last success in any of these premier tournaments was the 2021 World Championship.
'My target has always been those Triple Crowns,' Selby told ITV4. 'During the season if you can pinch one of them... I know it's not easy. That's where I see myself. When you look back in years to come on the all-time greats, it's basically like the Grand Slams in tennis.'
The snooker calendar now enters its most crucial period, with the UK Championship in York beginning this month, followed by the Masters in London in January, and the World Championship at the Crucible in April.
Cue Crisis for Trump
For runner-up Judd Trump, the defeat highlighted ongoing equipment struggles. The world number one revealed his experiment with a new cue appears to be over after persistent difficulties.
'I couldn't win, to be honest, there was no way I could win with that cue,' Trump admitted. 'I'm not going to make excuses, I chose to use that cue, I gave it my absolute all I just can't get used to it.'
Trump now faces the unusual situation of potentially using a brand new cue for his UK Championship title defence later this month. He heads to Saudi Arabia this week for the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, his final competitive outing before attempting to retain his Barbican crown.
The Champion of Champions victory represents Selby's first title of the season and could signal a return to form for the four-time world champion, who believes he has found something crucial in his game that could lead to further success in the months ahead.
