Mark Selby Equals Record with Scottish Open Victory

The “Jester” claimed the £70,000 top prize and raised the trophy aloft in Milton Keynes.

Mark Selby easily beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-3 in Sunday’s Scottish Open final – equalling an old record of Stephen Hendry in the process.

Success for the 37 year-old was an incredible 11th in a row while participating in a ranking event title-deciding contest.

Selby began the streak in 2016 when he hammered Ding Junhui 10-1 in the final of the International Championship.

Since then, the Englishman has also beaten the likes of John Higgins, Mark Williams, and Mark Allen while etching his name onto a variety of silverware around the world.

It’s perhaps fitting then that his latest triumph was accompanied by the reward of raising the Stephen Hendry Trophy aloft for a second successive season.

Hendry’s run of 11 victories in a row in ranking event finals occurred between 1993 and 1997 when he was at the pinnacle of his dominant era.

Funnily enough, O’Sullivan and Higgins were similarly victims of the seven-time world champion during his winning stretch more than two decades ago, and it was Williams who ultimately ended Hendry’s run at the 1997 British Open.

The 2020 Scottish Open final, meanwhile, was a disappointing affair that didn’t properly live up to its billing.

After Selby edged 2-1 in front with a 102 break, O’Sullivan was never able to restore parity again and was the second best throughout their battle.

The “Rocket” had several opportunities to make it closer but couldn’t rely on his usual scoring prowess, and his rival capitalised with a century and eight further contributions above 50.

Both competitors seemed agitated with one another on occasion, but it was Selby who had the last laugh as he gained revenge for his dramatic reverse at the World Championship.

For O’Sullivan, it’s a second loss at the last hurdle of a competition since adding a sixth Crucible crown to his collection in August.

Selby, though, has now won two out of the six ranking events held so far this season, adding to his European Masters success in September.

The Leicester player’s career tally increases to 19, taking him alongside Judd Trump and Neil Robertson into joint-sixth on the all-time list.

The first chance for Selby to break Hendry’s record mark will come immediately, with the World Grand Prix commencing on Monday at the Marshall Arena.

By defending his Scottish Open title, Mark Selby equals Stephen Hendry’s record of 1️⃣1️⃣ successive ranking final wins!

Absolutely no pressure in the next final then, Mark 😉 pic.twitter.com/OYoDQQ6n6P

— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) December 14, 2020

Featured photo credit: WST